Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films

Jennifer Jones

ALSO

BY

PAUL GREEN

Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Films, Television and Games (McFarland, 2009) Pete Duel: A Biography (McFarland, 2007; paperback large print edition 2009) A History of Television’s The Virginian, 1962 –1971 (McFarland, 2006; paperback 2010)

Jennifer Jones The Life and Films PAUL GREEN Foreword by Robert Osborne

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London

To Asha and Kelli, my two favorite dogs

LIBRARY

OF

CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Green, Paul, 1955– Jennifer Jones : the life and films / Paul Green ; foreword by Robert Osborne. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Includes filmography. ISBN 978-0-7864-6041-0 softcover : 50# alkaline paper 1. Jones, Jennifer, 1919–2009. 2. Motion picture actors and actresses — United States — Biography. I. Title. PN2287.J59G54 2011 791.43'028'092 — dc23 [B] 2011028247 BRITISH LIBRARY

CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE

© 2011 Paul Green. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Front cover: Jennifer Jones in Duel in the Sun, ¡946 (Selznick/RKO/Kobal Collection/Madison Lacy) Manufactured in the United States of America

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com

Table of Contents Acknowledgments vii Foreword by Robert Osborne Preface 5 Introduction 7

1

1. Oklahoma to Hollywood 2. Republic Pictures 3. Return to New York City 4. The Song of Bernadette 5. Since You Went Away 6. Love Letters 7. Cluny Brown 8. Duel in the Sun 9. Portrait of Jennie 10. We Were Strangers 11. Madame Bovary 12. Gone to Earth 13. Carrie 14. Ruby Gentry 15. Stazione Termini aka Indiscretion of an American Wife 16. Beat the Devil 17. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing 18. Good Morning, Miss Dove v

11 16 21 27 43 55 61 68 80 91 97 105 116 126 130 136 143 150

vi

Table of Contents

19. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit 20. The Barretts of Wimpole Street 21. A Farewell to Arms 22. Tender Is the Night 23. The Idol 24. Angel, Angel, Down We Go 25. The Towering Inferno 26. Life After Film 27. The Plays of Jennifer Jones 28. Jennifer Jones on Radio 29. The Films That Got Away 30. Reluctant Sex Symbol Filmography 233 Appendix: Jennifer Jones Credits and Memorabilia Chapter Notes 249 Bibliography 260 Index 265

154 159 165 172 180 186 190 197 206 215 219 231

241

Acknowledgments Jennifer Jones lived to an advanced age and the majority of her film contemporaries died many years ago. This made my task more difficult than on my previous books as you cannot interview those no longer with us. My research has been exhaustive and I have attempted to gather as much information from as many varied and sometimes obscure sources as possible. I am thankful to those few surviving people who knew and worked with Jennifer Jones during her film years for their contributions. My thanks go out to: Rhonda Fleming, a former David O. Selznick contract player, and a talented and beautiful actress in her own right. Former child star Carlena Gower, who shared the majority of her scenes on The Towering Inferno with Jones. Carlena’s mother Dorothy Gower who accompanied her on the Culver City set. Robert Osborne, author, journalist and host of Turner Classic Movies and long-time admirer of Jennifer Jones, for his foreword and contributions. Thelma Schoonmaker, wife of the late film director Michael Powell. Fiona Williams of Berlin Associates, London, agents for Powell’s estate, for granting permission to publish quotations. Artist Lois Constantine for sharing her memories of her friendship with Portrait of Jennie artist Robert Brackman. Artist Gainor Roberts for her help with Robert Brackman research. Brooks Preik for her memories of Jones’ visit to Southport, North Carolina, in 1953 as background research for her role as Ruby Gentry. Author Dorothy V. Corson for sharing her research on the making of The Song of Bernadette. Fellow film historian and author Michelle Vogel for her continued support, encouragement and help with research. Bill Cappello and Bill Doyle for researching Jones’ death certificate. Ron Simon, curator of Television and Radio at the Paley Center for Media, New York City. Liberty University and Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Sweet Briar College, Amherst, Virginia, for the use of their excellent libraries which stock many rare editions of novels and books convii

viii

Acknowledgments

nected to Jones’ films. And my local Campbell County Library, Rustburg, Virginia. Finally I’d like thank my wife Bev for her patience and continued support. Quotations from Michael Powell Million Dollar Movie, the second volume of his Life in Movies, published by Heinemann, London, copyright © 1992, are by kind permission of the estate of Michael Powell.

Foreword by Robert Osborne I’ll never forget the first time I ever saw Jennifer Jones in person. It was in the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and I was there to have lunch with her, to interview her for a story — well aware that she had a reputation for disliking interviews (she rarely did them during her career) and that talking to reporters was probably the one thing above all others she most disliked doing. I didn’t know her, only her image on screen, but she had agreed to do the interview as a favor to a friend of hers in order to bring attention to a cause she and her friend were very keen to support, an organization which was providing help to people who wanted and needed some psychiatric counseling but who couldn’t afford individual sessions. The year was 1970; Jennifer was, at this point, no longer actively involved in making films. Her husband David O. Selznick had died five years earlier and she had not yet married Norton Simon. Knowing of her trepidation about interviews, I had asked a friend of hers that I also knew to give me some suggestions as to what to say and do in order to get our time together off to a good start and, overall, make her comfortable. Don’t use a tape recorder, I was told. Don’t take notes. Don’t do anything to keep reminding her it’s an interview or she’ll be nervous Robert Osborne the entire time. Another suggestion: 1

2

Foreword by Robert Osborne

talk about Selznick as if she genuinely adored him. Beyond that, I was told, avoid asking her questions about her personal life because she considers that private territory, definitely off limits. With that advice tucked into my brain, off I went to the Beverly Wilshire, hoping for the best. I arrived ahead of the appointed time and waited. Then, at one point, sitting in the hotel lobby, my thoughts on the questions I hoped to be able to ask her, I was suddenly aware that everyone in the immediate vicinity was looking towards the front door. I looked, too, and there she was: elegantly dressed, staggeringly beautiful, much taller than I’d expected. I’d always heard about “heads turning” when someone entered a room but this was the first time I’d actually seen it happen. And it wasn’t as though people were looking because they recognized a movie star was in their midst. At that point in time, many years had passed since The Song of Bernadette, Love Letters, Duel in the Sun and Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing. Nostalgia hadn’t yet become a national pastime and the name and image of Jennifer Jones hadn’t been in the news for years. Those people were looking because she was a beautiful woman with a magnificent and compelling presence. My first thought was, “Oh, my God, it’s her.” My second thought: “Now I really get it — no wonder David O. Selznick was so besotted by her. She really is something special.” I’ve never had reason to think otherwise, before or since, which is why I’m particularly pleased this book by Paul Green about, as the title says, Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films, has been written. She might not be so keen about having the details of her personal life being re-examined but by the same token, being an extremely bright lady, was aware it’s an inevitable thing since her story is one with all the ingredients which at one time would have made a great movie directed by Douglas Sirk, John Stahl or — if he was in a Carrie mode — William Wyler. But I applaud any spotlight put on the work of this intriguing, interesting, versatile and mesmerizing actress who I think has too often been woefully underrated. I’m all for anything which will inspire more people to have a first, second or 15th look at her Academy Award–winning performance in The Song of Bernadette and the majority of her other films. As I found out that day I met her, it was always the work itself which motivated her. She was hazy on the production details of the films she made — how, for instance, the complicated camerawork was done on the waltz sequence in Madame Bovary or the logistics of that final crawl up the rocky mountain at the finale of Duel in the Sun— but she had vivid recall on each of the characters she played, their motivations and the challenges each role had given her as an actress. She was also self-effacing and witty. In talking about Madame Bovary, for one instance, she told me how several critics had been quite savage about her performance, several of them mentioning that

Foreword by Robert Osborne

3

Lana Turner, who had once been announced to do it, would have been so much better. I told her that I didn’t think so, and to strengthen my point said, “Lana Turner is from Wallace, Idaho. She wouldn’t have been able to convey the Frenchness of the character nearly as well as you.” Said Jennifer, after a slight pause and a stir of her coffee, “Oh yes, I’m much more French than Lana Turner. I’m from Tulsa, Oklahoma.” Throughout our conversation, what seemed to interest her most was the day-to-day work, not the final film which resulted from it. That may have partially been because of something which happened very early in her days with Selznick. She told me that Selznick, as her boss, had not allowed her to attend the premiere of the first big film of her career, The Song of Bernadette, because he didn’t want the public to think of her as actress on a red carpet but instead view her, at least initially, as the character she was playing in the film. So because of that, and due to a busy work schedule on her next film, Since You Went Away, she didn’t see The Song of Bernadette for several months. Then one day, she said, she was driving down Hollywood Boulevard and noticed that Bernadette was still playing at a movie theater. Since she had the afternoon free, she decided on the spot to go check it out. All fine and good until the movie started and Bernadette made her first appearance. At that point, a woman sitting immediately behind her in the movie house whispered to her companion, “That’s Jennifer Jones, and she won the Oscar for this.” Silence. Then a few minutes later, the companion asked her friend, “She won an Oscar for this? But she’s so self-pitying.” Came the reply. “Yes — and isn’t she awful.” With that, Jennifer said, “From that moment on as I watched, all I could think was, ‘She is self-pitying’ so I got up and left. And I think I’ve hated The Song of Bernadette ever since.” Jennifer never watched another one of her films for years and, from that point on, left it to her directors to guide her in her work. She said it wasn’t until many years later, when Selznick was away for two weeks, that she ever had a desire to look at one of her films again. (Selznick had prints of all of them at the Selznick home on Tower Road in Beverly Hills.) She watched one of them and thought, “That’s not too bad.” Then, “I indulged myself and ran off about twelve of my pictures in a row. I was unhappy with some of them but to my surprise several of them I thought were fine. One or two of them, I think, are even quite good.” What I said to her then, I repeat now: “Indeed they are, Miss Jones. Indeed they are.” And to Paul Green I say, thanks for bringing this excellent inspection of this fascinating lady to us. You have done Jennifer Jones and yourself proud.

This page intentionally left blank

Preface This book is primarily an account of the films of Jennifer Jones. The biography details a familiar story and serves as a framework for her career. Her life has been chronicled by other authors but only one book (published in 1978, now out of print) has concentrated on her films. A new appraisal of Jones’ films is therefore overdue. I also discuss Jones’ stage and radio appearances in individual sections for ease of reference. Jones left behind a relatively small body of work, but with a few exceptions, her films continue to be of interest for the quality of production and her acting which always holds your attention, even when she isn’t at her best. There can be little doubt that she is deserving of more critical attention.

5

This page intentionally left blank

Introduction Jennifer Jones was an enigma during her lifetime who preferred to look to the future and not to reflect on her illustrious past. The media were to be avoided and interviews declined. Her reservations came out of her sense of personal space and a naturally shy personality. She refused to discuss her private life in any detail and didn’t care to analyze her work. It is rare for a person not to find some comfort or therapy in discussing their past. Even more so given the talent and beauty Jones was blessed with. But her silence has only served to magnify her appeal and mystery. Who was Jennifer Jones? The question may seem nonsensical but the simple fact is that Jones remains elusive. The person born as Phylis Lee Isley is much easier to relate to. A young woman striving to make an impact in her world. Ambitious, aware of her talents, self-conscious and shy but not lacking in the self-confidence to confront new challenges. An attractive actress who appeared to compromise her early acting ambitions with marriage to fellow struggling actor Robert Walker and the birth of two sons. What was more important to Phylis Isley Walker? A family or success in Hollywood? Or did she want the best of all possible worlds? When success beyond all expectations came early in her career and she was forced to change her name and project a wholesome image to the world for her official film debut, Jones exchanged the young husband and father of her sons in favor of an older and not particularly attractive married man named David O. Selznick. He had great power and influence as the producer of Gone with the Wind and, like Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady, Selznick transformed the small town girl from Oklahoma into a lady fit for Hollywood society. The persona of Phylis Isley became submerged. To Selznick her life began when she became the name of his choice and her image became his property to manipulate and control for profit and personal pleasure. Robert Walker was a pawn in a power play by Selznick. While Walker made love to his wife on screen, Selznick (knowing that the Jones-Walker relationship was falling 7

8

Introduction

apart) comforted and seduced his latest creation in his office and gloated as he personally supervised the filming of take after take of the loving on-screen couple. Walker was a broken man as Selznick gained total control of Jennifer Jones, the screen idol. She was now effectively owned by the studio who had control over her appearance, clothing, interviews and fan magazine articles. And that studio belonged to Selznick. If he could transform an unknown newcomer into a major star, he would make millions of dollars from her manufactured name and image. It paid to maintain the illusion. Jones was well aware of the double standards of her screen image and private life. The public feeds into the fiction of celebrity and denies any reality that disturbs their fantasy. But there can be no doubt that the Jones screen image had little relation to Phylis Isley. The attractive girl from Oklahoma was transformed into an untouchable beauty, with the best makeup artists and fashion designers in the world ensuring her goddess status. But what became of Phylis Isley? She surfaced in Jones’ insecurities and suicide attempts and in her need for a strong father figure. She was an often neurotic personality with a tendency to burst into tears and run from any stressful situation and was in analysis by the age of twenty-five. Jones’ almost obsessive need for privacy was a hallmark of her character that had its roots in issues of control and trust. Jones felt the media would twist facts and manipulate headlines to sell newspapers and magazines to a gullible and gossip-hungry public. Yet Jones was in a relationship with a man whose business was to twist facts and manipulate the media to sell his films. The double standard was there for all to see. Jones didn’t like to find herself in professional situations she couldn’t control. The film set worked within rigid parameters in which Jones willingly surrendered to the director’s commands and instructions. She not only wanted control over her environment; she wanted to be controlled by people she could trust completely. She only made twenty-four full-length films and peaked early in her career with a string of classics during the 1940s. The 1950s saw Jones’ career swing between the high of Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing in 1955 to the low of A Farewell to Arms in 1957. Selznick’s decision to cast Jones in A Farewell to Arms proved to be his personal farewell and hurt her career. Selznick still viewed his wife as a young woman but the camera photographed a woman approaching forty in a role meant for a girl in her twenties. The new generation of filmgoers had little interest in the middle-aged Jennifer Jones and her films represented an era no longer relevant to a youthful audience. When Jones lost her main arm of support with the death of David O. Selznick in 1965, she floundered without his guidance. Although he had made

Introduction

9

many poor career choices for Jones and their marriage wasn’t without conflict, he was the continuing thread that guided her through her adult life. Without him, her sense of self-worth and motivation evaporated and Jones became increasingly depressed with both her life and career. One fateful night the news of the death of friend and fellow actor Charles Bickford prompted her to make the decision to end her misery for good with sleeping pills washed down with champagne. But fate intervened in a near miraculous manner on Malibu Beach, and Jones was brought back from the brink of death. She knew she had to seek help and look to the future. Selznick’s Hollywood was in the past. Ghostly images on film that merely served as a reminder of her former life. It was time for Jones to reinvent herself yet again as she moved into the specialized and elitist world of art collecting, and married another older and financially powerful man, Norton Simon. Although she remained in public view, only her family, close friends and business associates showed any lasting interest in her life and career away from the film world. To the vast majority of the public, Jennifer Jones ceased to exist when she retired as an actress. Her relationship with Selznick often overshadowed her film career. Critics of her work claim she was only successful because of Selznick’s power and influence and without him she would have been just another pretty face appearing in mediocre films. There is no doubt that Selznick presented Jones with opportunities early in her career due to his prestige as producer of Gone with the Wind. But Jones accepted those opportunities and the challenges they presented to a newcomer. She excelled because she not only possessed outstanding beauty but she also possessed genuine talent. Despite Selznick’s attempts to mold her to his own image of female perfection, the Jennifer Jones the public loved was in essence Phylis Isley. Her unique personality and talent on film belonged to her alone. Selznick may have supervised her screen image but nobody can control the spirit that makes each person unique. Selznick was merely the puppet master.

This page intentionally left blank

1 Oklahoma to Hollywood It’s cheaper to hire an actress than it is to raise one. — Philip Isley1

Phylis Lee Isley was born into a family that had its roots in Germany with the birth of Malachi Isley in 1725.2 When Malachi and his wife Mary Magdalene departed Germany for America they initially lived in Pennsylvania before settling in Orange (Alamance) County, North Carolina. Their first son Philip was born in 1751, followed by George on April 3, 1768, and Malachi II over a year later. Philip Isley’s mother passed away on December 24, 1790, and was buried in the grounds of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Orange County, where she was joined by her husband in 1808. Philip Isley married and had a son named George who moved to Missouri in 1852, settling on a farm near Kingsville, where he died in 1864 at age eighty-five. George Isley’s son Philip, born May 7, 1840, in Gwinnett County, Georgia, joined the Confederate Army in 1861, and served for four years. In 1864 he married General William King‘s daughter, Nancy, in a colorful marriage ceremony that took place near Boat Mountain, Arkansas, while on horseback and in full military attire, complete with pistols. Nancy Isley gave birth to Benton in Missouri in September 1868. Benton’s Kansas-born wife Flora Bell Ross gave birth to their son Philip Ross on November 26, 1892, in Johnson County, Missouri. Flora Mae Suber from Sacramento, California, had her family roots in Germany. Her father, George Washington Suber, was born in the Midwest on May 6, 1855. Following marriage to Lulu Talbott from Kentucky, they eventually settled in Sacramento County, California. Flora Mae Suber (who was also known as “Dolly”) booked tent shows.3 The attractive young woman caught the attention of Philip Ross Isley who had ambitions to become a stage actor. Their relationship blossomed into marriage and the birth of a daughter, Phylis Lee Isley, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Sunday, March 2, 1919. 11

12

Jennifer Jones

The young Phylis found herself hitting the road every summer with her parents’ stock company. Rural communities were excited to see the traveling stock companies arrive in their town and would often help to raise the tent in eager anticipation of the entertainment to come. The ten-cent shows were the only live entertainment available for hundreds of miles and their success was essential to the troupes who performed on a regular basis.4 Popular plays performed by the Isley Stock Company included The Old Homestead,5 a story about a New Hampshire farmer who rescues his son from Skid Row in New York City, and East Lynne, a melodrama of misplaced love and regret.6 Between acts, Philip Isley would show silent films and recite crowd-pleasing poems such as “The Face on the Bar Room Floor,” 7 about an artist brought to ruin by his former love, and “The Shooting of Dan McGrew”8 where Dangerous Dan McGrew and a Yukon miner kill each other over a woman who then steals the miner’s gold. The reputation of the stock company rested on the plays being matched to local sensibilities and customs. Flexibility, mobility and sensitivity all played an essential part. Phylis Isley would sit in her booth selling tickets, candy and popcorn, and occasionally join the performers on stage. Clifford Ashby, former professor of theater arts at Texas Tech University, and Suzanne De Pauw May (in their book Trouping Through Texas: Harley Sadler and His Tent Show) state, “[Phylis Isley’s] father, a shrewd and knowledgeable businessman of considerable wealth, became through the magic of publicity, the ownermanager of a small peregrinating tent show. Jennifer, his renamed daughter, now had a background of growing up as a backstage child with her daddy’s fictitious troupe.”9 According to testimony from Phil Isley, Ashby and Phylis Isley at age 12.

1. Oklahoma to Hollywood

13

May continue, Phylis Isley only appeared for a few weeks one summer with the Kansas-based Sport North show to gain acting experience and she never worked with the Harley Sadler New Stage Show despite the fraudulent advertising on Sadler trucks.10 Moving to Oklahoma City in 1925, Phylis enrolled at Edgemere Public School where, despite an inauspicious stage debut as a stick of peppermint candy, she began to show early promise as an actress in the school plays. When traveling tent shows began to fade in popularity as America entered the Great Depression, Philip Isley decided to turn his attention full time to the movie theater business and achieved immediate success with his timely investment in a chain of bankrupt movie theaters that he converted to sound. The income from the theaters ensured an excellent education for Phylis, who in 1935 entered Tulsa’s Monte Cassino Junior College, a private school founded by three Roman Catholic Benedictine sisters. Her days at Monte Cassino were happy ones for Phylis who formed close friendships with classmates, was a member of the sorority “The Toppers” and was voted May Queen of her class, reluctantly accepting the honor she felt should have gone to her best friend Ruth Bowers King.11 She also won an annual elocution contest held at Oklahoma A&M College and a scholastic medal in Latin. Her fellow students at Monte Cassino noticed how their normally quiet and unassertive friend suddenly found confidence when she was asked to appear in the school plays. Early role models included Janet Gaynor, Katharine Cornell and Sylvia Sidney, whose mannerisms and style Phylis attempted to imitate.12 Irene Kendle, the dramatics teacher at Monte Cassino, would prove to be a major influence in the future direction of her life, offering encouragement after seeing the potential in her acting.13 In 1935, Phil Isley acquired the Bailey Brothers’ Circus which he sold to Harley Sadler. Three months later, in December 1935, Sadler sold the circus to Ben Mouton.14 Isley graduating from Monte Cassino In September 1938, following Junior College in 1936.

14

Jennifer Jones

graduation from Monte Cassino, Phylis enrolled as a drama major at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. During summer break she toured the southwest with Richard Mansfield Dickinson’s “The Mansfield Players” stock company. In her debut play with the company, she acted opposite fellow Northwestern student Andy McBroom (David Bruce) in This Thing Called Love. It was an inauspicious start to her summer season with forgotten lines and a broken lamp left in her wake.15 The season continued with Smilin’ Thru, The Return of John Slater and The Family Upstairs, among others. She was often accompanied by her parents. Her father feared that Phylis would be distracted and turn into a Bohemian rather than a talented actress. Prior to a visit to New York City with her parents, Phylis’ drama teacher recommended she see Ruth Draper perform one of her famous monologues. But it was Katharine Cornell who impressed Phylis the most in Maxwell Anderson’s The Wingless Victory at Broadway’s Empire Theatre in December 1936. Cornell played Malayan princess Oparre. When Oparre’s marriage to ship’s captain Nathaniel McQuestion results in her rejection by the New England community, she comes to believe she is hampering the future of her husband. Her radical solution to the problem results in her taking the life of her children and then killing herself. Phylis was impressed enough to write to Cornell for advice on acting. Cornell kindly replied with the recommendation to first acquire a cultural background16 and to never give up trying. Cornell’s positive response motivated Phylis to aim high. After much thought, her mother and father allowed Phylis to try out for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Studying at Northwestern University was proving to be limiting, and Phylis was increasingly concerned that she wasn’t being tested to her full potential. Phylis entered the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on September 10, 1937, with a distinctive audition of scenes from The Wingless Victory and Romeo and Juliet. Her parents accompanied her to New York City and secured lodgings for their daughter at the Barbizon Hotel for Women on Lexington Avenue at 63rd Street. A few months later, on January 2, 1938, she crossed paths for the first time with fellow American Academy student Robert Hudson Walker. Walker had grown up in Ogden, Utah, where he developed a reputation for being something of a bully in his local neighborhood. Enrollment at the San Diego Army and Navy Military Academy taught him much-needed discipline. The head of the dramatics department, Mrs. William T. Atkinson, was impressed with Walker’s musical abilities on the drums and thought his timing, rhythm and concentration would transfer well to the dramatics class. She offered him the lead role in I Am a Jew playing a scientist, and fostered his growing interest in acting.17

1. Oklahoma to Hollywood

15

After staying at the Academy an extra year, Walker won a scholarship to the Pasadena Community Playhouse in California. His wealthy Aunt Tenny, otherwise known as Hortense Odlum, was the president of the Bon-Wit department store in New York City. She had paid for his tuition at the military academy and offered him the alternative choice of studying with the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. Walker accepted his aunt’s offer and lived in a cooperative lodge with an income of ten dollars a week borrowed from his brother. The shy Phylis Isley and the often brash Robert Walker soon progressed from being close friends to a dating couple. In the spring of 1938, to gain entry to the autumn term, Phylis and Walker performed a scene from one of her favorite plays, The Barretts of Wimpole Street. That summer, Walker placed his acting ambitions to one side as he found employment working on the S.S. Pastore banana boat traveling between New York and South America.18 Following personal criticism of his Robert Browning audition at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts by head man Charles Jehlinger, Walker decided to leave the AADA and influenced Phylis to join him in pursuing work in the theater. One year to the day after they met, they exchanged wedding vows in a small private ceremony at Christ’s King Church in Tulsa. Phylis’ parents presented their daughter and son-in-law with a Packard automobile as a wedding gift. Success in the theater was sporadic and far from lucrative. Work for Paul Gilmore’s Cherry Lane Theatre Troupe in Greenwich Village19 (where they played the juvenile leads in Frederick Jackson’s The Bishop Misbehaves) earned the Walkers fifty cents for each performance. Philip wanted far better things for his daughter than a dead end job in Greenwich Village and offered her the lead on The Phylis Isley Radio Theater. Not only would she be back home with her family in Tulsa, she would also be earning a respectable $25 a week for fourteen weeks work. She accepted her father’s offer with the agreement that her husband was also offered a regular role. Philip agreed. But the Walkers had greater ambitions than a Sunday afternoon radio show based in Oklahoma. They required much greater coverage to kick-start their careers. Frustrated by their lack of progress, the Walkers decided to move to Los Angeles at the suggestion of Phylis’ influential father, who wrote letters of recommendation for casting directors. Glenn Condon, vice-president and general manager of KOME radio station in Tulsa, was excited about the future prospects of the Walkers: “These young people are destined to go places in the theatre. Mr. Walker is more interested in stage and radio but will accompany his wife to the cinema capital.”20 But the Walkers soon discovered they were just two people among thousands in Hollywood, all looking for the quick fix of fame.

2 Republic Pictures John Wayne was the star and I was the girl who waved goodbye. Romance in westerns was called nonsense then because westerns were made for children. — Jennifer Jones (1961)1

After settling into their new home, a boarding house named Aunty Daisy’s on La Brea Avenue,2 the Walkers made their way to Paramount Studios for their initial screen tests (scenes from Tovarich and Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts). The executives at Paramount weren’t impressed. Phylis Walker was running out of studios when she was granted an interview at Republic Pictures. Formed in 1935 by Herbert J. Yates, Republic was labeled a Poverty Row studio due to its output of movie serials featuring the Lone Ranger, Zorro and Dick Tracy and B westerns starring singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Phylis’ interview was a success, but the prospect of appearing in lowbudget films fell far below her expectations. According to modern sources she signed a six-month contract with Republic on June 25, 1939. However, contemporary newspaper sources from the Ogden Standard-Examiner ( July 9, 1939) state that Phylis signed a five-year contract with her first western film slated as the female lead in Raiders of the Wasteland (the working title for New Frontier), to be followed by a role in The Higgins Family (1938), a light comedy directed by Gus Meins about and advertising executive ( James Gleason) and his dysfunctional clan.3 Despite Republic’s promises of playing female leads, Phylis found herself relegated to small roles in the 3 Mesquiteers western New Frontier (1939) and the serial Dick Tracy’s G-Men (1939). Republic Pictures made 51 “B” movies featuring the Three Mesquiteers between 1936 and 1943. (The trio made their debut in William Colt MacDonald’s novel Law of the .45’s in 1933.) Although promoted as westerns, the timeline on the Three Mesquiteers films was inconsistent and stories often 16

2. Republic Pictures

17

involved automobiles, trucks and even escaped Nazi prisoners. Films in the series were limited to a five-day shooting schedule and they were usually released approximately one month after completion.4 Filming on New Frontier began on June 26, 1939, under the working title Raiders of the Wasteland. Locations included the Iverson Ranch, Simi Valley and Van Norman Reservoir in Granada Hills, Los Angeles. Playing the role of Celia Braddock, Isley makes her screen debut in New Frontier backing into Stony Brooke ( John Wayne) as she prepares for the local dance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the New Hope Valley by settlers fleeing the aftermath of the American Civil War. In the midst of celebrations, Brooke tells everyone that the New Hope Valley has been condemned. The Metropole Construction Company has plans to build a dam across Cut Stone Canyon and turn the valley into a reservoir.

Isley shares a scene with John Wayne (left) and Sammy McKim in her New Frontier film debut.

18

Jennifer Jones

The townsfolk and ranchers rebel when they hear the bad news and do everything they can to stop the dam being built. When they are offered land in Devil’s Acres in return for their land in New Hope Valley, they stop their rebellion. But Brooke soon discovers that the offer of new land is a scam when he sees the promised water pipeline scattered in pieces. Brooke saves the day when he closes the passage of water through the dam before it can flood New Hope Valley. Isley has screen presence in her limited role as the granddaughter of Major Braddock (Eddy Waller) and features prominently in one tight closeup scene where she talks about Devil’s Acres. Although her delivery lacks total conviction and her beauty is still to mature, the viewer can see promise for the future. For her work on the film, under the terms of her contract, she received $75. This would be Wayne’s eighth and final appearance as Stony Brooke in the series before stardom came via the role of Johnny Ringo in John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939). Wayne actually filmed his scenes for Stagecoach following

Theatrical poster for the 1953 re-release of New Frontier. Phylis Isley doesn’t receive a name credit on the poster but is featured in a scene from the film.

2. Republic Pictures

19

completion of Red River Range and was contractually obligated to appear in four more Three Mesquiteers films. Due to the positive pre-release publicity surrounding Stagecoach, Republic decided to capitalize on Wayne’s rise to stardom by holding back the release of his final four films until after the release of Stagecoach.5 One of the highlights of Isley’s time on New Frontier was the arrival on set of her parents’ old friend Pawnee Bill, “White Chief of the Pawnee” a.k.a. Gordon William Lillie. He presented her with an autographed award written on animal skin. It read, “On the 12th day of July, 1939, by authority of the Pawnee Indian Council and the Chiefs of the Skidi Band of Pawnees — Phylis Isley was inducted into the Pawnee Tribe for her distinguished accomplishments in the entertainment world, reflecting great credit upon her native state of Oklahoma and is hereby given the Indian name of ‘Red Star.’”6 Isley and Wayne presented Pawnee Bill with a set of commemorative spurs in return. Isley’s second project for Republic Pictures, Dick Tracy’s G-Men (1939), was even less prestigious. The four Dick Tracy serials, produced by Republic between 1937 and 1941, transformed Chester Gould’s newspaper strip creation from a police detective based in the Midwest to a FBI “G-Man” working out

Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) looks on as Gwen Andrews (Isley) works the radio receiver in Dick Tracy’s G-Men (1939).

20

Jennifer Jones

of California. Other changes saw secretary and laboratory assistant Gwen Andrews replace Tracy’s girlfriend Tess Trueheart and F.B.I. agent Steve Lockwood replace colleague Pat Patton. Tracy also gained a brother and a comic sidekick named Mike McGurk. Only the character of Junior survived from the original newspaper strip. The new Dick Tracy was also stripped of any romantic interest, no doubt to please the target audience of Saturday morning youngsters who were mainly interested in heroics, action and adventure. The fifteen-chapter serial, which began filming on June 17, 1939, starts with arch-villain Zarnoff ’s seemingly miraculous return to life following his gas chamber execution. He vows revenge on the man who condemned him to an early grave, Dick Tracy. Cast as Gwen (and billed on-screen as Phyllis Isley), the actress appeared in all fifteen episodes; her scenes were filmed in five days and comprised of 204 words of dialogue, for which she received $90.62. The role gave her little chance to stretch her acting muscles beyond exchanging messages with Tracy over the phone and radio. Film theaters such as The Capitol in Reading, Pennsylvania, showed Dick Tracy’s G-Men as part of a “4-Ring Show” that included Clyde Beatty in The Lost Jungle, Ricardo Cortez in The Gentleman from California and the war thriller The Warning. The Saturday matinee performThe poster for the 1955 re-release of Dick Tracy’s ance also included a free 64G-Men included a name change for Phylis Isley. page ten-cent comic book.

3 Return to New York City Two things I could never cope with — publicity and my father. — Jennifer Jones (1970)1

The official story states that Phylis Isley Walker was so depressed with her prospects, she was released from her contract with Republic following the intervention of her father who once again used his influence as the owner of a chain of movie theaters. But a newspaper report by Alice Pardoe West in the Ogden Standard Examiner (April 7, 1940) stated, “Phylis Isley Walker ... who had signed a contract to appear in a series of western pictures, was forced to postpone its fulfillment to await the coming of a blessed event which she expects some time this month.”2 Given the fact that Isley discovered she was pregnant in August 1939, the newspaper account appears to have credibility, and her reasons for getting out of her contract take on an added dimension beyond feelings of despondency. Robert Walker also became disillusioned with Hollywood after appearing in uncredited roles in Winter Carnival, These Glamour Girls and Dancing CoEd (all 1939). They both moved out of their rented cottage in Laurel Canyon, sold their car for $1,000, bought a train ticket and headed back east to New York City and their new life in a basic apartment on West Tenth Street. On her return, Isley made an appearance on the experimental NBC television station WZXBS-TV. The series was Thursday Night Program and the episode was titled “The Streets of New York or Poverty Is No Crime.” Written in 1857 by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault, the five-act play had enjoyed a 1931 revival on Broadway (87 performances between October 6 and December). The play was a bleak melodrama about a family’s worsening circumstances, living in poverty in New York. With a heroine aptly named Lucy Fairweather and a villain called Gideon Bloodgood (George Coulouris) who sets a house on fire, the melodrama was never subtle in its approach but was considered good enough for adaptation. 21

22

Jennifer Jones

Thursday Night Program was one of the first television series featuring live drama. Former actor Tony Bundsmann directed the eleven-minute live television drama that was broadcast on August 31, 1939 and featured crude special effects including confetti doubling for snow.3 Bundsmann went on to direct a series of classic westerns featuring James Stewart in the 1950s under his new name of Anthony Mann. The episode was Isley’s first and last appearance in television drama. Her interests lay in the legitimate theater but they had to be placed to one side as she prepared for the addition of a new member to the family. To make room for their baby, the Walkers decided it was time to move from their cramped apartment with its shared bathroom. The days of using a small stepladder to climb into their kitchen washtub to take a bath were about to come to an end. Long Beach, Long Island, became their destination of choice. Robert Walker, Jr., was born at 5 A.M. on April 15, 1940, at Jamaica Hospital, Queens. Although Phylis could rely on the financial support of her parents, the Walkers knew the birth of their child would necessitate that Robert Walker aggressively pursue work. He found success in radio, gaining employment on NBC’s Yesterday’s Children for $20 followed by David’s Harum, Secret Service, The O’Neill’s, Against the Storm, Dr. Jordan, The Aldrich Family, Camel Caravan, The Parker Family, Stella Dallas, John’s Other Wife and four months on Myrt and Marge. His wife stayed at home and cared for their new son. In July 1940, Phylis discovered she was pregnant again. A move to Nassau County was followed by the birth of another son, Michael Walker, on March 13, 1941. Two children within one year placed even greater importance on Walker building on his radio career. Phylis’ desire for a return to work increased after the birth of Michael and, with a housekeeper taking over some of her duties, she was allowed the freedom to seek employment. Robert Walker’s success in radio and the help of her parents had eased their financial pressures. The Walkers worked together in a dramatic skit for the annual automobile shows in New York City and Chicago,4 and Phylis found work modeling hats for the John Robert Powers Agency. She also worked as a photographic model for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. In the summer of 1941, Phylis found herself in a situation that can be described as coincidence, good luck, fate or divine intervention depending on your beliefs. Whatever the cause, the events of that summer would eventually change her life forever. She became enamored of Claudia, a new play by Rose Franken playing at the Booth Theatre, starring Dorothy McGuire. She was convinced she was ideally suited to the role of Claudia Naughton, a young bride still attached to her mother and stuck in a childlike state until cruel fate intervenes in the form of her mother’s cancer. (The play would run

3. Return to New York City

23

to 722 performances between 1941 and 1943 despite some mixed reviews including Time [February 24, 1941] which stated: “Claudia’s unhealthy immaturity remains masked for three acts behind a screen of tedious, relentless Ladies’ Home Journal cuteness.”) When Phylis discovered that producer John Golden was looking for an actress for a Chicago company production of Claudia, she told her husband. Understandably, he had mixed feelings about the possibility of Phylis having to leave New York. He knew success in Chicago was usually followed by a national tour. But Robert’s agent helped arrange an audition for Phylis at the home of Rose Franken in Old Lyme, Connecticut, where she joined fellow actress Phyllis Thaxter.5 Thaxter passed the audition for the Chicago company David O. Selznick in 1941. but they both attracted the attention of David O. Selznick. Selznick, who was born May 10, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had started his film career as an apprentice for his father’s production company, Selznick Pictures. After moving to Hollywood in 1926, he was employed as a story editor at MGM before moving to Paramount in 1928, RKO in 1931 and a return to MGM as a producer in 1933. In 1935 Selznick formed his own production company and became famous for the Oscar-winning Gone with the Wind (1939) and Rebecca (1940). Selznick had bought the film rights to Claudia for $187,000. Dorothy McGuire had made the role her own on stage and was favored by Selznick to repeat her success on film. But newcomer Phylis Isley Walker had impressed Kay Brown, who arranged for her and Thaxter to read at Selznick’s New York offices at 630 Fifth Avenue. Selznick listened to initial readings from an adjoining room and only made his presence felt if he felt the actor showed promise.6 Accounts of the first reading are contradictory and confusing. Phylis was reported to have said, “I parked the kids and went down to his New York office. They let me read the part and I was very, very bad. I thought they were just trying to comfort me when they told me to come back tomorrow and see Mr. Selznick.”7

24

Jennifer Jones

According to the same contemporary newspaper report, Phylis forgot about the appointment with Selznick when the everyday duties of a mother caring for her children took precedence. But a phone call from Selznick’s office, asking where she was, prompted her to drop everything. Accounts of the actress running “almost all the way”8 to Selznick’s office were obviously added for dramatic effect, but there can be no doubt that her anxiety levels would have been high. This story appears to counter a March 25, 1942, account on the Hollywood Comes A’ Visiting segment of the NBC radio news show Hollywood Newsgirl where the actress stated she had hysterics in the middle of the reading and couldn’t continue, but added, “[T]he next thing I knew, I was reading the same lines for Mr. Selznick himself.”9 Given the fact that Phylis’ initial reading is reported as taking place on July 15,10 with a follow-up the next day, the facts are obviously confused as Kay Brown informs Selznick on July 16 that Phylis had done “a very nice reading.” Selznick responds on July 22, “Is this the big-eyed girl we saw in the office who had two children?... I certainly think she is worth testing....”11 Selznick’s response implies he has yet to conduct a personal interview in any detail with Walker as he confuses her with Phyllis Thaxter. Given the conflicting accounts that have gained traction throughout the years, the likely scenario is of Phylis breaking down at the first reading and Selznick making his entrance from the adjoining room where he had been listening to the proceedings. Phylis composes herself and then reads again for Selznick and Kay Brown. The call-back for the following day didn’t involve a personal meeting with Selznick as he was traveling west at the time. Brown reported back to him about the reading on July 16 on his Culver City calendar. Brown then arranged for a screen test of Phylis for Claudia on July 25 with Rose Franken present. Selznick expressed his excitement about seeing the footage on July 26.12 But Selznick and Brown’s enthusiasm was replaced with the reality of a proposed contract that involved a starting income of $200 per week which he considered “slightly insane”; he recommended that everyone “get down to earth.” However, on July 26, Selznick placed any doubts about finances to one side as Phylis signed a seven-year contract, with an option for renewal each year and a pay range of $200 per week to $3,000 per week within the seven years of the contract. The reasons why Selznick went against his own instructions to Brown on July 25 to inform Walker, “[W]e wouldn’t dream of paying her any such figures...”13 most likely lies in the beginning of his infatuation with Phylis. Phylis finally had a measure of financial security and could look to the future with a sense of promise. There was also an assurance of the role of Nora in Selznick‘s upcoming feature The Keys of the Kingdom. But Phylis’

3. Return to New York City

25

main obsession was with landing the role of Claudia. Selznick contemplated the distinct possibility she would be cast in the lead role. He told Rose Franken, “I say to you now that it is my sincere hope that Walker will overnight be a star ... if we should cast her as Claudia.”14 But Franken remained unimpressed about Phylis’ suitability for the role. Franken had signed a contract with Selznick for screen rights to her play and novel that gave her casting approval on a film version. She wanted Dorothy McGuire. Following further tests on October 7 in New York under Mel Ferrer’s direction, Selznick reluctantly agreed on October 14 that McGuire was “somewhat better for Claudia.”15 Further bad news followed for Phylis when Selznick sold the rights of The Keys of the Kingdom to 20th Century–Fox and she lost the promised role of Nora. With a seven-year contract in hand, Phylis was still without a film role to introduce her to the public. Selznick had no immediate vehicle for her talents at his studio but was still paying her a contract salary. On September 10, he wrote a memo to his director of advertising and publicity, Whitney Bolton, with the instructions to find a new name for Phylis. Selznick was becoming protective of his new property and expressed anxiety over interest being shown in her by theatrical agents and producers. She was officially off limits to all interested parties unless he gave the word. In October 1941 Jones told Selznick about her previous work and contract with Republic Studios. A mild panic followed while Selznick checked to see if her contract prevented her from working for other studios. Luckily for all concerned, her contract with Republic didn’t contain any hidden clauses and was effectively null and void. By January 8, 1942 Selznick was still waiting for suggestions from Bolton: “Where the hell is that new name for Phylis The image required further styling to turn Walker?” Selznick had decided on girl-next-door Phylis Isley Walker into Jennifer for her Christian name movie star Jennifer Jones.

26

Jennifer Jones

but was still searching for a suitable surname. By January 24, 1942, a name was found. Phylis Isley Walker had been transformed into Jennifer Jones. The motives remain unclear and range from Selznick wanting to distance his new property from any connections to her films at Republic; to avoid confusion with Phyllis Thaxter as he had personally been guilty of; to loosen her ties to Robert Walker; or simply to re-invent her name and image for practical, professional purposes in order to sell her to the public and maximize the profit for his investment. The newly christened Jennifer Jones told columnist Frederick C. Othman, “I thought they were laughing at me when they gave me that name. But they weren’t laughing at all.”16 Selznick International Pictures had been liquidated in August 1940 for tax purposes and was followed by the founding of David O. Selznick Productions Inc. The change in direction involved a new company policy of packaging his product to sell to a production company. This new policy also included loaning out talent. Although Jones wasn’t included in a November 1942 transaction with 20th Century–Fox, Selznick continued to highlight her potential to William Goetz and set up a screen test for The Song of Bernadette.

4 The Song of Bernadette But the beauty of this lady seems less of the body than any other beauty. It is that very spiritual radiance alone which we call beauty. — Franz Werfel, The Song of Bernadette (1942)

Jennifer Jones was introduced to the public in a film based on both historical fact and a best-selling historical novel by Franz Werfel. In June 1940, Werfel and his wife Alma Mahler-Werfel left their home in the French fishing village of Sanary-sur-mer. With German troops overtaking Paris, the Jewish Werfels planned to escape to New York. Their journey would be arduous and involve crossing the Pyrenees by foot into Spain and onward to Madrid and Lisbon. Finding their departure from Marseilles delayed by five weeks, the Werfels took refuge in the city of Lourdes, situated at the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwest France. Franz Werfel spent part of his stay in Lourdes listening to the story of Bernadette Soubirous and the miraculous healing powers of the local spring water. The story of the Catholic girl inspired him to make a vow to the people of Lourdes to “sing the song of Bernadette” should he escape to the United States of America. Werfel did escape to America, where he settled in the hills overlooking Los Angeles and kept his promise to “sing the song of Bernadette” and to “magnify the divine mystery and the holiness of man.”1 Werfel admitted to being influenced by Henri Lasserre’s Our Lady of Lourdes as Lasserre’s book (published in 1870, little more than a decade after actual events) was based on first-hand accounts. Werfel’s The Song of Bernadette reached number one on the New York Times best-seller list on August 16, 1942, selling 400,000 copies in the first months of publication. Hollywood took note. Enter George Seaton, a graduate from radio where he played The Lone Ranger in 1933 before pursuing a career 27

28

Jennifer Jones

as a writer. His main niche was in comedy, co-writing the Marx Brothers’ A Day at the Races (1937) and the Jack Benny film Charley’s Aunt (1941), among others. Twentieth Century–Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck was understandably surprised when producer William Perlberg recommended Seaton for his latest project. It seemed an unlikely subject for a writer known for his work in comedy and musicals. But Perlberg insisted that Seaton adapt Werfel’s novel or Perlberg would abandon the project. In 1942, 20th Century–Fox acquired the screen rights to the novel for $125,000 after director William Dieterle failed to renew his option on it. Werfel was hired as production advisor. Approximately 300 actresses were reduced to the final seven who tested for the role of Bernadette Soubirous. These actresses included Lillian Gish, Beatrice Pearson, Anne Baxter, Mary Anderson, Linda Darnell and Teresa Wright. With vice-president Darryl F. Zanuck serving in the army and William Goetz in control, Selznick saw an opportunity to use his family connection as the brother-in-law of Goetz to arrange a screen test for Jones in the fall of 1942. Director Henry King was impressed with Darnell until Joseph Schenck brought Jones’ screen test to his attention. King was intrigued by the newcomer and she was invited back for more tests. Cinematographer Leon Shamroy first tested her physical presence on screen by filming Jones walking on stones as she crossed a make-believe stream. The screen test of Jones reacting and talking to the vision of the Lady would serve to measure her acting ability. A prop man stood behind the camera carrying a stick in his hand that substituted for the Lady. Now only Anne Baxter stood between Jones and the role. After viewing Baxter’s footage, King was satisfied that Jones was the only actress they had tested who could convince an audience that Bernadette was genuinely seeing a vision of the Lady in the grotto. The news was made official on December 9, 1942. Jones exclaimed, “I was so anxious to play Claudia but I never dreamed I would be chosen for the Bernadette role.”2 Producer William Perlberg was equally pleased with his choice. “Teresa Wright or Joan Fontaine would be wonderful in the part but Jennifer is Bernadette.” In Hedda Hopper’s “Looking at Hollywood” syndicated column, she called Jones “one of the most unspoiled, intelligent girls I’ve met in a long time. Her own story, since meeting David Selznick, is almost as miraculous as the miracle she’ll play in the picture.” Gossip columnist Louella Parsons, intrigued with the new star in Hollywood, got an interview with Jones in January 1943. Jones told Parsons that her preparation for the role of Bernadette was inspired by the nuns at the convent she attended as a child and her desire to be like them. Jones had received the Christmas gift of a rosary from her former teacher and sister at the convent.3

4. The Song of Bernadette

29

Back in New York, Robert Walker heard that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producer Dore Schary was searching for an actor to portray a cocksure sailor in a war film set in the Philippines. Walker asked his agent to arrange for a test at MGM’s New York offices. The “personality test” involved projecting his personality before a camera while a person asked him questions. Walker’s test impressed MGM enough for them to offer him the role of Seaman Leonard Purckett in Bataan on a short-term contract. He was told to show up for filming in January 1943. It provided the perfect opportunity to spend Christmas with his wife and children in California. The timing couldn’t have been better for the couple. Both would be working for quality studios on major film projects within months of each other. Walker was looking to a promising future in Hollywood shared with his beautiful wife and family, his lonely days in New York receding into a distant memory. Around this time, the Walkers were both offered the juvenile leads in the long running Los Angeles stage production of The Drunkard, but were unable to accept because of work commitments.4 Walker had still to meet David O. Selznick, the spoiler who would stake his claim on his beloved “Phyl.” But Walker was still full of hope when he ventured on the sound stage at MGM and was introduced to Robert Taylor by directory Tay Garnett. With the security of their contracts in place, Jennifer Jones and Robert Walker rented Tyrone Power’s former villa in Bel-Air. When interviewed for the Ogden Standard Examiner by staff reporter May Mann (May 5, 1943), Walker was self-effacing about his success: “I wonder what the kids will think that I went to school with? I wasn’t much at school. They’ll probably say, ‘That drip a movie star. How come?’ That such good fortune should happen to both of us at the same time. That we should both be playing the leads in two pictures based on best-sellers, still seems too good to be true.”5 Walker treated himself to a second-hand motorcycle, but it only served as an excuse for Jones to complain about what she saw as an unwise purchase. The relationship was showing signs of strain. On February 24, 1943, Selznick wrote to Franz Werfel requesting he autograph a specially bound first edition of his book as a gift for Jones, to be presented to her to celebrate the start of filming. Following her successful screen tests, Jones also appeared in dress rehearsals with actors (including Laird Cregar) testing for supporting roles before shooting began in March 1943. Locations for the film were mainly confined to the 20th Century–Fox back lot where the largest set constructed since Lon Chaney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) covered two acres. One hundred twenty-five workmen constructed the twenty-six buildings, including the cachot which served as the cramped Soubirous family home and a church with a 75-foot spire.

30

Jennifer Jones

Members of the U.S. Air Force based at Clover Field, near Beverly Hills, meet Jennifer Jones on the set of The Song of Bernadette (1943).

Reclaimed lumber and non-priority plaster was used for construction. A 450foot section of the River Gave including the grotto of Massabielle was created on a separate section of the lot. 6 As filming began, Jones told reporters, “Bernadette was just a normal peasant girl who happened to see a miracle. I’m playing her that way.”7 Selznick wanted the Walker marriage and their two children to remain hidden from the public. The virginal Bernadette must be seen to be played by a virginal actress. When news circulated that the girl playing the saint was married to fellow actor Walker and had two small sons, William Goetz responded, “We aren’t filming the life of Jennifer Jones. We’re filming The Song of Bernadette.”8 There was cynicism from certain reporters. Robbin Coons commented in his “Hollywood Sights & Sounds” column ( January 1943), It’s a religious picture ... and it seems that girls who star in religious pictures just suddenly materialize.... They come from the holy nowhere into the uncertain here, and they haven’t lived before.... They have no past. They have only a glowing, sanctified present.

4. The Song of Bernadette

31

This seems to part of an unwritten code of Hollywood. Religious subjects are ticklish business, you know. Tread lightly, Hush, hush! But don’t blame Jennifer, and don’t blame the press agent who assured me seriously that Jennifer’s marriage is “off the record.” Just lay off Hollywood, and the powers that be here who in spare moments erase recorded marriages from the public record. As a skeptic about Jennifer, I may report that Phylis Isley from Tulsa, Okla., is a pretty, healthy looking girl with a broad smile and a great deal of vivacity.

Selznick’s attempts to protect his new star from the press and the possibility of embarrassing questions about her past were motivated to ensure the greatest profit for the film. While his actions initially appear protective and fatherly, they came from a need to control. The press, the magazines, and the radio had all been fed misleading information about Jones. Only when the truth of her marriage and sons leaked out was Selznick forced to come clean. Even then the “happy couple” were idealized in a manner that only resulted in additional stress on the relationship. Hollywood producers and actors loved to play games and re-invent history and only the constant digging by the press forced their hand. Many times the fan magazine publishers were paid to maintain the false truths constructed by Selznick and others. The studios were officially part of the publicity machine that dealt in glamour. While Selznick had no long-term interest in maintaining the image of Jones as a saintly figure off screen, it would have been commercial suicide not to maintain that image to some degree as filming on The Song of Bernadette progressed. The Bernadette screenplay had to be read carefully. Any scenes that indicated ridicule of religious faith, or placed priests in a negative light, had to be avoided. Joseph Breen, an Irish Catholic from Philadelphia, worked alongside Will Hays, a Hoosier Presbyterian from Indiana, in enforcing the Production Code. Breen had held the position as Hays’ assistant since 1934 and was responsible for writing comments on scenes from scripts he found unacceptable for the general viewing public. Breen was generally pleased with the tone of the screenplay but had reservations about scenes involving a local priest’s verbal attacks on Bernadette and a scene in which Mr. Soubirous, drunk, used the word “God” in an overly familiar manner that bordered on profanity.9 Breen gave serious attention to the accurate depiction of Roman Catholic ritual, religious terms, prayers and clothing. His recommendation for a technical adviser resulted in the appointment of Father John J. Devlin, the executive secretary of the Legion of Decency in Los Angeles. Catholic sisters from Brentwood, California, were also among many others consulted.10 The opening scenes convey the harsh living conditions of the Soubirous family as we see the children asleep in a damp, crowded room that once served as a jail. The father (Roman Bohnen), having lost his grist mill, is forced to

32

Jennifer Jones

earn money disposing of infected and diseased wrappings and bandages from the local hospital. The site of their disposal in a garbage dump adjacent to a cave and overgrown grotto takes on added significance as the story of 14-yearold Bernadette Soubirous ( Jones) unfolds. Bernadette is a sickly child who suffers asthma attacks. Her poor health causes her to wait by a cave as her sisters cross a stream to collect firewood for their father. This minor incident changes Bernadette’s life forever as she sees a vision of a Lady “in a white veil, with a blue girdle and a rose on each foot.” On her return to the Rocks of Massabielle, Bernadette once again sees the beautiful Lady floating in the cave grotto. But the hundreds of townsfolk who follow Bernadette on her subsequent visits see nothing but a kneeling Bernadette looking into the black emptiness of the grotto toward the overgrown thorn branches of the wild rose. The Lady is seen only by Bernadette. The imperial prosecutor Dutour (Vincent Price) views Bernadette as a dangerous religious fanatic and attempts to scare and cajole her into an admission of fraud. After failing to break her will, he is forced to hand her over to Police Commissioner Monsieur Jacomet (Charles Dingle). Soon Bernadette finds herself under attack from all sides in an attempt to break the cycle of her visions. Her father and mother (Anne Revere) forbid her to visit the grotto. The Dean of Lourdes, Father Peyramale (Charles Bickford), gives permission for Bernadette to be ridiculed in class by the mean-

Bernadette (Jones) is arrested by a policeman (Hooper Atchley) for questioning while her mother (Anne Revere) and sister Marie (Ermadean Walters) watch helplessly.

4. The Song of Bernadette

33

spirited and spiteful Sister Marie Therese Vauzous (Gladys Cooper), and the officials of Lourdes plot her downfall. Bernadette offers herself up for increased ridicule when the puzzled townsfolk watch as she digs through mud and smears it across her face under instructions from the Lady (“Go drink at the spring and wash in it”). But later that afternoon, when spring water flows from the mud hole, the townsfolk return to bathe in it and stories of miraculous healings follow. On March 25, 1858, Bernadette claims that the Lady refers to herself as ‘The Immaculate Conception.’ The term had been defined as Roman Catholic doctrine in a solemn decree by Pope Pius IX in 1854, but Bernadette says she has never heard the expression before, thus leading many to believe the apparition is the Virgin Mary, despite the fact that Bernadette only refers to her as a beautiful Lady. Under the advice of Father Peyramale, Bernadette makes the decision to enter the convent of Saint Gildard. But her time spent at the convent is unhappy thanks, in part, to the severe charge of Sister Vauzous, who views Bernadette as an attention seeker. But when Sister Vauzous learns of the intense silent suffering of Bernadette under the ravages of tuberculosis of the bone, she finally comes to a self-realization of her own jealous and petty nature. As the mortally ill Bernadette lies in her bed, she encounters the Lady one final time and knows that her suffering is soon to end, to be replaced by eternal bliss in the world to come. In an effort to maintain the reality of a peasant girl, Jones wore no rouge, lipstick or false eyelashes. Writer George Seaton stated that one of the reasons Jones was chosen for the role was the fact she “had a earthy peasant quality about her.” After entering the convent, Bernadette Seaton stressed Bernadette’s abandons her previous life and identity and point of view in his screenplay. adopts the name Marie-Bernarde.

34

Jennifer Jones

He knew the power and mystique surrounding Bernadette lay in her exclusive personal experiences. Placing the camera to include both Bernadette and the Lady in the same frame would have diluted her personal vision and included the audience as witnesses — something that never happened in reality. The visions were peculiar to Bernadette alone. “You cannot say that anybody saw the Virgin except Bernadette.... So you never see a shot of Bernadette in the foreground. It’s always her eyes and what she sees,” explained Seaton.11 Although King and Seaton both agreed that Bernadette’s visions should remain out of shot, Werfel demanded the Lady be shown. Depictions of the Virgin Mary on screen were rare. Prior to Darnell’s anonymous contribution, Mary Pickford appeared as the Virgin Mary in Douglas Fairbanks’ The Gaucho (1927) in a startling Technicolor sequence in which Pickford was silhouetted against a glowing halo in a grotto. The story of the Virgin Mary bestowing a miracle on a young girl and a shrine being erected at a grotto had obvious links to the real-life Lourdes, but the South American setting and the Zorroinfluenced action sequences bore no relation to Werfel’s story. Jones was anxious and naturally a little nervous to see how her performance was transferring to film. “I went to some rushes and was horrified. I screamed that my mouth moved strangely. David Selznick said, ‘No more rushes, no more anything. I’m the boss. Let me be the judge.’ So from then on I just acted.”12 The casting of Darnell as the Lady was frowned upon by Werfel, who insisted she be replaced. Darnell was originally under serious consideration for the role of Bernadette but was told she was “too pretty.” She was known for her glamour photographs, curves and sexual demeanor. King resolved the problem of Darnell’s casting with a combination of soft focus photography and bright lighting to disguise her identity. Werfel was not impressed and threatened to boycott the film unless Darnell’s footage was removed. Zanuck assured Werfel that her scenes would be cut and replaced with only the feet of the Lady visible on screen, but Zanuck backed out of that promise after viewing a rough cut. There are differing accounts on the filming of Darnell’s scenes in the grotto, with some commentators such as Professor Colleen McDannell saying special effects director Fred Sersen inserted Darnell’s footage into the sequence.13 Seaton claimed that Darnell was filmed within the grotto set and no inserts were required. Darnell remained uncredited in the final print because studio bosses thought Bernadette’s vision should not be connected with a Hollywood actress. In retrospect, if the studio really believed their own hyperbole, they would have cast an unknown actress in the role. Darnell was too well known to the regular moviegoer for her identity to remain anonymous for any length of time, and in the final deathbed scene she is clearly recognizable.

4. The Song of Bernadette

35

Linda Darnell was a controversial choice as the Lady because of her reputation as a glamour girl.

36

Jennifer Jones

Cinematographer Arthur C. Miller adopted a sharp and defined image for the film. Light and dark were delineated with hard edges in a reflection of the often grim subject matter that had its roots in poverty and suffering. Only in scenes involving the Lady did Miller resort to a glowing, ethereal image. The glow of the lady reflected on Bernadette’s face was achieved with high key lighting obtained by reflected light from a lamp with a rheostat attached. Miller’s cinematography excels when centered on Jones’ face. He captures innocence, fragility and spiritual beauty without overtly sentimentalizing the subject. Composer Alfred Newman began work on the musical score in October 1943 with a large budget of $100,000 to cover his costs. Edward Powell provided the orchestration. The soundtrack was recorded on Stage One at the 20th Century–Fox studios with Werfel and his wife Alma present to listen to the 80-piece orchestra and various choirs at work. Newman recorded the music over a four-week period and incorporated liturgical and folk source music to add authenticity. Acclaimed classical composer Igor Stravinsky originally began work on a score to accompany Bernadette’s vision in the grotto, but it was never used. The music later formed the second part of Stravinsky’s The Symphony in three movements. Newman’s score gives the film an added dimension that highlights the spiritual nature of the subject. Bernadette’s initial vision is accompanied by Newman’s musical interpretation of the sound of the stirring wind, the rustling leaves, the flow of the stream and the glow of the light. Only with the subsequent visions and appearances of the Lady does Newman move into Hollywood religiosity with the overstated heavenly choirs under the supervision of choral director Charles Henderson. Newman is at his best with his string arrangements and impressionistic orchestration that hints at spirituality and reflects the innocence of Bernadette. Prior to the film’s release, Life magazine published a five-page pictorial by staff photographer John Florea, dramatizing the story of Bernadette.14 The series of 16 photographs presented the story from a different perspective to the film with Jones featured alongside “non-professional” actors. Florea’s photography displays a stark documentary style with an emphasis on black foregrounds to frame the pictures and create depth. While they compliment the film, they also give us an alternative approach. A kneeling Bernadette is viewed from the mouth of the cave as she looks toward the Lady who remains out of shot. Bernadette being followed through the streets as she walks to the cave is viewed through the paned window of a café as two silhouetted customers watch the procession from their table. A paned window is used as a frame once again in a scene of Bernadette in conversation with the Dean of Lourdes. A final dramatic full-page photograph shows Bernadette entering the

4. The Song of Bernadette

37

convent of Saint Gildard accompanied by her stern former teacher. They climb the stone stairs enveloped in black. Florea progressed to directing episodic television later in career. The “official story” stated that Jones didn’t attend the premiere of The Song of Bernadette on December 27, 1943 at Cathay Circle, Los Angeles, because of illness. The truth lay in the fact that Selznick ordered her not to attend in order to maintain a certain mystique with the public.15 Jones was allowed to travel to familiar territory in her home town of Tulsa for the nationwide premiere at local theaters the Ritz and the Orpheum on February 24, 1944. As she alit from the train at the Union Depot, she was greeted by Mayor C.H. Veale and crowds of fans clamoring for her autograph. Jones was driven through the familiar surroundings of downtown Tulsa to the sight of large banners simply stating, “Welcome Jennifer Jones” and Norman Rockwell’s poster art for the film prominently displayed at the First National Bank. Dinner at the Tulsa Club was followed by personal appearances at both movie theaters. Audiences were anxious and eager to see their hometown girl on the big screen. Jones concluded her short promotional trip with a visit to her former school, Monte Cassino, where she met up again with the former teacher she credited as her main inspiration for her acting career, Sister Ursula. Jones watched in amazement on the campus grounds as a statue of herself in the role of Bernadette was unveiled in a replica of the grotto where the reallife Bernadette first saw her visions of the lady. Sister Ursula said that Jones’ characterization of Bernadette “came nearer to the real Bernadette than any likeness ever before attempted” and that the statue was a testament to Jones’ “spiritual qualities and the fulfillment of ideals — not to her fame.”16 Reviews were full of praise for Jones’ performance. Variety (1943) remarked: Sensitively scripted and directed in best taste throughout, Bernadette unfolds in leisurely fashion with attention held through deft characterizations and incidents, rather than resort to synthetic dramatics. Many times during extended running time there are sideline episodes inserted, but even these fail to lessen intense attention to the major theme ... [Jones] delivers an inspirationally sensitive and arresting performance. Wistful, naïve, and at times angelic, Jones takes command early to hold control as the motivating factor through the lengthy unfolding.

Edwin Schallert, film critic for the Los Angeles Times (December 22, 1943), wrote: The Song of Bernadette is the most moving picture spiritually that has ever been made. It is a creation of supreme beauty, as reverential a tribute to a life dedicated to a world beyond as has even been conceived for the films.

38

Jennifer Jones

Kaspar Monahan of The Pittsburgh Press (April 10, 1944) took George Seaton’s reasoning one step further: I think good taste is violated to some degree by permitting audiences to see the celestial figure — The Lady in White — which no one in the film except Bernadette can see. The tranced expression on her face and the glow in her eyes is enough. Let the audience use its imagination.

Time (February 7, 1944) stated: The Song of Bernadette lacks the razor-edged realism, the urgent poetry, the freshet-like creative vitality of great cinema or great religious vision. Sometimes its too high cinematic and religious gentility betrays itself awkwardly. As Bernadette, newcomer Jennifer Jones makes one of the most impressive screen debuts in many years. It remains to be seen whether or not cinema actress Jones can do in other roles the delicately dynamic things she achieves as this little peasant saint. If she can, Hollywood should watch and guard Miss Jones as sedulously as the church watched over Bernadette.

Bosley Crowther of the New York Times ( January 27, 1944) also commended Jones: There is a fine appreciation of Bernadette in this film, largely because of the simplicity and beauty of Miss Jones in the role.... [H]er manner, both dignified and humble, modest yet confident, is a wonderful contrast to the shadings of lay and clerical personalities which confront her on all sides.

Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald ( January 8, 1945) commented: An inspiring film because of the reverence and care with which a deeply religious subject has been given a universal human value ... [Werfel’s novel] has been translated to the screen with remarkable devotion by the director Henry King and the character of Bernadette with enthralling fidelity by the “unknown” Jennifer Jones who received an Academy Award for her acting.... Innocence and simplicity and the knowledge of truth that makes her stronger than all who threaten and console her or fling their disbelief into her shining face, emerge from her Bernadette with the naturalness of light from the sun. She is supported by a large cast of comparative unknowns most of them well chosen.

Walter Winchell commented in his syndicated column “Winchell on Broadway” (February 6, 1944): The Song of Bernadette, coming in on a 12-cylinder build-up, proves itself worthy of all the hooraying. It turns out to be a tenderly told, beautifully played film.... Jennifer Jones, a newcomer, plays the miracle healer who was sainted — and Hollywood is hers from now on.

James Agee provided an interesting perspective in his review for The Nation ( January 29, 1944): Whether through Henry King’s direction or her own ability, the Oklahomaborn actress impossibly combines the waxen circumspections of a convent school

4. The Song of Bernadette

39

with abrupt salient of emotion of which Dostoyevsky himself need not have been ashamed.... What you have here ... is a tamed and pretty image, highly varnished, sensitively lighted and exhibited behind immaculate glass, the window at once of a shrine and of a box office.

There were hopes for an Academy Awards sweep when The Song of Bernadette won Golden Globes in 1944 for Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Motion Picture Actress ( Jones) and Best Director (Henry King). The 16th Annual Awards of the Motion Picture Academy ceremony was held at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on March 2, 1944, and was broadcast for the first time by local radio. Selznick accompanied his contract players Jones, Ingrid Bergman and Shirley Temple to the event. A nervous Jones waited to hear her name called as Best Actress in Leading Role. Competing against her was Joan Fontaine (The Constant Nymph), Jean Arthur (The More the Merrier), Greer Garson (Madame Curie) and Bergman (For Whom the Bell Tolls). Selznick had little faith that Jones would win the Oscar and expressed his desire for Bergman to take the Academy Award. To his surprise, Jones won the Oscar. It was her twenty-fifth birthday. She walked toward the stage as a person moving through a dream landscape. Frederick C. Othman of the United Press described the scene: “The theater was hushed when the black-clad Greer Garson strode to the microphone to announce the best actress of the year. She uttered no more than the word ‘Jennifer’; the cheers drowned out whatever else she had to say.” Jones was wearing a modest dark blue dress, “looking as though she were a high school girl.” Othman concluded that Jones “hugged the statuette to her breast, produced a big smile and said she was the worlds” happiest girl. “I am thrilled,” she said. “And I am grateful.”17 After accepting her Oscar, she could be heard whispering, “I hope it doesn’t break.” “I was all shaky and wanted to cry when I heard my name called out. It was an experience I can never hope to feel again,” Jones told reporter Alice Pardoe West.18 The Song of Bernadette had been nominated in twelve categories and eventually won in four. Fellow recipients that evening included Alfred Newman for Best Music, scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Arthur C. Miller for Best Cinematography, Black-and White, and James Basevi, William S. Darling and Thomas Little for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White. Jones earned $6,075 for her work on the film. Selznick had loaned her out to Fox for $12,300, thus ensuring a sizable profit for his studio. The following day (March 3, 1944), Jones began official divorce proceedings against Robert Walker and a few months later filed a suit for divorce in Reno, Nevada, on grounds of incompatibility.

40

Jennifer Jones

When Walker was interviewed by Sheilah Graham some months earlier for her syndicated column “Hollywood,” his words betrayed the beginnings of a growing distance in their relationship: “Jennifer was pretty tired after The Song of Bernadette,” said Walker, “and she needed to go away on vacation. But we couldn’t afford it, so she is having a rest at home....” Walker admitted he didn’t see much of his wife due to a conflicting work schedule and talked of her insecurities about her performance as Bernadette. “Jennifer is afraid she hasn’t done as well as she might have.... She is extremely aware of herself. I don’t mean she’s conceited, I mean she wants to develop herself in every way; physically and mentally.”19 The public learned about their separation in the January 1944 edition of Ladies Home Journal. With news of divorce proceedings the day after the Oscar ceremony, the public perception of Jones changed and gave certain sections of the media an excuse to tarnish the image of the young actress the day after her greatest triumph. Jones was both elated and perplexed by her success in The Song of Bernadette. What does an actress who wins an Academy Award for her first leading role do for an encore? Jones’ Oscar was treated with criticism by some who claimed it unrealistic for any actress to receive the prestigious award for her first film. The Associated Press coverage crossed the line into condescending stereotyping when a reporter described Jones as “an uncommonly pretty Okie” and her performance in The Song of Bernadette as “the first picture she ever did out of a buckskin skirt and a you-all drawl.”20 Following her Oscar, many critics dismissed Jones as a one-performance actress, labeling her with the theatrical phrase “morning glory.”21 She intended to prove them wrong. Jones and Charles Bickford reprised their roles as Bernadette and Father Peyramale on NBC’s The Radio Hall of Fame on February 20, 1944. Anne Baxter, who came so close to securing the role of Bernadette Soubirous, eventually played Bernadette in an April 11, 1949, Lux Radio Theatre production broadcast. Bickford portrayed Father Peyramale for one final time on October 24, 1954, when Ann Blyth played Bernadette on the Lux Radio Theatre broadcast. Jones proved to be perfect casting as the young Bernadette. Although she didn’t physically resemble the real-life Bernadette Soubirous, she managed to convey a genuine sense of innocence, spiritual intensity and moral strength and integrity in her “screen debut.” During filming she was kept apart from her fellow actors under instruction from Selznick. She would take her guidance from the experienced Henry King who was also willing to listen to her input, allowing her to smear her face with real mud and eat plants and twigs in the

4. The Song of Bernadette

41

scene where she obeys the Lady as she digs through the mud to search for a spring. Vincent Price impresses as the educated Imperial Prosecutor whose selfsatisfied arrogance is put to the test when he is faced with his own mortality. He comes to realize that Bernadette’s simple faith is a source of strength he cannot achieve with his scientific, rational thinking. The George Seaton script adopts a serious, scholarly approach that never becomes stolid and only falls short in the traditional religious imagery of the Lady that lends reality to Bernadette’s vision but in doing so takes away the mystery. Another criticism of the film is its failure to depict Bernadette’s weak health in any detail. Her asthma is mentioned but never shown. This weakness results in the transformative power of Bernadette’s vision being lessened. Instead the transformation is demonstrated through the change of fortune in her parents’ financial situation. The visions of Bernadette ultimately benefit those around her but without a focus on Bernadette’s poor health and suffering we don’t come to a true understanding of her selfless personality. In the final scenes where Bernadette is dying, the audience receives a censored version of her suffering in favor of a conclusion that borders on the edge of religiosity. But despite these faults we are left with a deep feeling of respect and reverence for Bernadette Soubirous. No matter what the truth of her visions, the power of her faith in them proved to be more of a stumbling block for skeptics than for Bernadette herself. The film takes on a deeper relevance if it is viewed with a thought to the period when it was first made and viewed by the public: a time of great suffering and hardship for many during World War II, when faith had added meaning for the audience. Jennifer Jones later remarked, “I loved being Bernadette. She was so much more wonderful than a mortal Jennifer Jones could ever be.”22 But she also admitted she owed a great debt to the director, who guided her performance. Henry King was 46 years old when he first met the 23-yearold Jones. Jones was thankful for what King taught her and later stated, “I did Song of Bernadette without knowing what was going on half the time ... thank the Lord for Henry King.”23 King also acknowledged his debt to Jones: “In twenty years as a director I’ve worked with many fine actresses, but few inspired ones. And she is inspired.” Although the film follows actual historical events in the life of Bernadette Soubirous, it was primarily based on Werfel’s novel which often played loose with historical accuracy. Antoine Nicolau was 28 at the time of the apparitions and Bernadette only 14. The blossoming romance was fiction. Bernadette expressed her desire to be a nun and wasn’t coerced by the Dean of Lourdes

42

Jennifer Jones

into joining the convent as depicted in the film. There was no deathbed vision of the Lady but the humble final words, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me poor sinner, poor sinner.”24 Jones will always be remembered for her stunning performance as the humble peasant girl, but the words of the real-life Bernadette Soubirous best express the life-transforming visions of the Lady: “The beauty she possesses is not to be expressed by language.”

5 Since You Went Away If only we could have gone with you! To see and hear and feel what you’ll find. As it is, the whole thing is real to us only in flashes.... — Margaret Buell Wilder, “Letters to a Soldier from His Wife” (1942)

David O. Selznick was under pressure to consolidate the critical and box office success of his two previous films Gone with the Wind (1939) and Rebecca (1940). The popularity of MGM’s Mrs. Miniver (1942) prompted Selznick to conduct a search for a warm-hearted war story about the American home front. Since You Went Away by Margaret Buell Wilder was based on her popular column “Letters to a Soldier from His Wife” for the Dayton Journal Herald. In the column, Wilder recounted a series of letters written to her husband Captain Donald Wilder, serving overseas in World War II Europe. They explored the loneliness and frustrations of women on the home front and the difficulties of raising two teenage daughters without the influence of a father. The popularity of Wilder’s column led to its publication in Ladies Home Journal in 1943 and the expansion into a novel. Selznick, seeing potential in the material suggested by Paramount story editor William Dozier, snapped up the pre-publication rights to the novel for a bargain price ($30,000). Buell Wilder traveled to Hollywood from her Ohio home to adapt her novel for the screen from an outline provided by Selznick. He then wrote a screenplay, expanding it to include a broader spectrum of American society and introducing new characters. The Hilton family would speak to the nation’s concerns on the home front. He also raised the social class of the Hilton family to one of relative financial stability, despite the inclusion of a storyline where they take in a boarder to supplement their income. F. Hugh Herbert then polished Selznick’s screenplay with broader development of the 14-year-old daughter Bridget “Brig” Hilton. Wilder’s attempts to obtain a screenplay credit resulted in failure when she was rejected 43

44

Jennifer Jones

by the Screen Writers Guild; Selznick took lone credit for the screenplay as “the Producer.” Selznick cast the recently “retired” Shirley Temple and newcomer Jones as the daughters. Stage actress Katharine Cornell wrote to Selznick in the spring of 1943 expressing her enthusiasm over Buell Wilder’s book and her desire to play the role of the mother, Anne. On May 6, 1943, Selznick replied with flattering remarks about her reputation but made his reservations known to her concerning making her film debut as an average American wife and mother.1 Claudette Colbert was considered more suitable by Selznick but she didn’t care for the idea of playing the mother of two teenage girls and was initially uneasy being cast as the mother of Jones’ character. Colbert was almost forty years old at the time of casting and she felt Jones looked far too mature to be her daughter. It was left to gossip columnist Hedda Hopper to persuade Colbert that taking the role was a good career move. An agreement that Selznick would allow Colbert freedom from his notorious meddling and a little matter of $265,000 helped her make her decision. Temple was paid $2,200 per week. Jones’ final fee for the film amounted to $9,866.66. Robert Walker was also a member of the cast. Production began on September 8, 1943. Early in the filming, Walker was returning home from MGM’s Culver City studios when a car made a left turn in front of his motorcycle. He smashed into the car broadside and was thrown headlong into the road, landing on his head. His safety helmet saved Walker from sustaining serious head injuries but he was told by doctors that he would have to rest for a month while he recovered.2 Selznick worked around Walker’s enforced absence, filming scenes that didn’t feature his character. His return to the set presented problems for Jones, who wanted to be anywhere except on a film set with her estranged husband in a role she felt she was too old for. Her marriage to Walker was effectively over as she found herself under the watchful eye of David O. Selznick. Before filming began, Jones told Walker she wanted a divorce. Love scenes between Jones and Walker were understandably strained. Selznick compounded the tense atmosphere with his dominating presence on the set during the filming of these scenes. Following intimate scenes, Jones would burst into tears and retreat to her dressing room. Selznick served as comforter to the distraught Jones, and Walker was left alone to imagine how intimate that comforting might be. Selznick was interested in much more than Jones’ acting skills. He always had an eye for young actresses but his interest in Jones was turning into an obsession. Producer John Houseman stated the relationship between Selznick and Jones began in the summer of 19413 and as a close associate of Selznick he was in a good position to know what was happening behind the scenes.

5. Since You Went Away

45

Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones’ doomed relationship in Since You Went Away (1944) was mirrored in the break-up of their marriage in real-life.

The media maintained the illusion of a happy marriage. Ogden Standard-Examiner reporter May Mann, commenting on a Hilton housewarming party held at the studio to celebrate the start of filming, stated that Jones and Walker were enthused about the new Hilton house and wanted to build one like it for themselves after the war.4 The image of a perfect marriage was as fictional as the characters they were about to portray in the film. The opening scene makes it clear to the viewer that this is a film meant to strengthen morale in a time of war: “This is the story of the Unconquerable Fortress. The American Home...” We are introduced to Mrs. Anne Hilton (Colbert) as she enters her com-

46

Jennifer Jones

fortable middle-class home, expressing feelings of loneliness in the absence of her husband as she looks at his photographs. Controlling the dwindling family finances is proving a burden and she is forced to let her housekeeper (Hattie McDaniel) go. The message is clear. Even moderately wealthy Americans have to make sacrifices. We are all in it together. Max Steiner’s often overbearing score emphasizes the point by reinforcing the patriotic sentiment. When Jones makes her entrance she fails to exude the confidence of Temple, and her scenes with Colbert don’t work as effectively as those between Temple and Colbert. The fact she is taller than Colbert and bears no physical resemblance is hard to ignore. Compared to The Song of Bernadette where she commanded scenes with her presence, the Jennifer Jones we see in the opening scenes of Since You Went Away resembles a lanky girl searching for meaning in her role. During production, Selznick expressed concerns to production manager Ray Klune that Jones was being presented in a “miserable way.” Selznick told Klune he had created Jones’s role as a “sensational contrast with Bernadette.” Not only would this ensure she wouldn’t be stereotyped as a saintly figure but it would demonstrate her versatility as an actress and in Selznick’s words, “cinch her claims to important stardom.” Selznick also expressed his dismay over his belief that Jones’ performance on the set didn’t match the vibrancy of her rehearsals because the sound recording engineer demanded Jones raise her voice to increase its volume. Jones had been taught by director Henry King to talk in her natural voice, so throwing her voice was affecting her performance. The sound engineer was given an ultimatum: fix the problem or get the axe.5 Cameraman George Barnes became an early victim of Selznick’s obsession when he was fired for creating unflattering footage of Jones. Selznick’s passion for Jones extended to constant rewrites to accommodate Jones at the expense of Temple’s role, which was diminished as the filming progressed. Since You Went Away was Temple’s first film under her new seven-year contract for Selznick, but despite her previous illustrious career as a child star Temple found herself taking a back seat to newcomer Jones. He gave orders in a memo dated June 15, 1943, that Temple should be listed fourth in the cast list behind Colbert, Jones and Monty Woolley. Selznick also demanded that Temple wear no makeup in her role as the younger Hilton sister, thus making Jones appear even more glamourous as the older sister. The displacement of a sense of reality with the introduction of mawkish sentiment by Selznick also displeased an increasingly disgruntled Temple. In her autobiography Child Star, Temple recalled working with an emotionally fragile Jones: “She always seemed to be suffering acutely, and her love scenes with Walker continued painful to witness, until Selznick mercifully rewrote him off to war and got him killed.”6

5. Since You Went Away

47

English director John Cromwell recollected, “Jennifer was on edge all through the picture.... She was worried about her role and Selznick and her troubles with Walker ... and just about everything.... [W]ith all that was going on behind the camera it is a wonder she got through it at all.”7 The attempts of Cromwell and Colbert to calm the nerves of an increasingly anxious Jones had little effect. Only when Selznick expands her role does she grow into her character as the film progresses. Thanks to Selznick’s constant rewrites, Jane Hilton develops a self-confident personality not evident in the early scenes, where the focus is on Jane’s crush on her “uncle.” The newfound dominant personality is most evident in scenes with Walker, who plays a weak, timid young man who fails to live up to his grandfather’s expectations. Joseph Cotten had been cast as a beloved uncle the previous year in Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943), playing the murderous Uncle Charlie. While the “uncle” in Selznick’s production is ultimately benign, there is an undercurrent of the dangerous “uncle” in his womanizing lifestyle and the expression of his continued feelings for Anne Hilton, despite her being married. Director John Cromwell stated that Colbert posed no problems during filming, but Selznick and Temple both expressed their displeasure with the actress.8 Her demands included dictating camera angles and lighting on her face with an emphasis on the left side, three days vacation every month and a refusal to work late on detailed scenes or close-ups. But Joseph Cotten enjoyed Colbert’s company, calling her “humorous, hard working and ... almost shockingly honest.”9 Cromwell’s direction was supplemented with additional footage by Tay Garnett on crowd sequences and Eddie Cline on comedy scenes between Jones and Walker. Andre de Toth worked on montage sequences. The Hilton home, central to the story, was an idealized American home, designed by William Pereira and built on Stage 13 complete with solid walls and ceilings and its own street. Art director Mark-Lee Kirk designed the traditional interior décor. But life for many on the home front was far removed from the comfortable middle-class suburbia portrayed in the film. Women took jobs vacated by males. The advertising of the day highlighted patriotism, sacrifice and sense of duty but the reality was borne out of a need for money in a time of rationing and hardship. There is no doubting the patriotism of female workers (housewives, divorcees, widows and students). Their contribution to the war effort was vital. But they were also exploited by their employers, receiving half (or less) in wages than males doing the equivalent job.10 Margaret Buell Wilder’s novel echoed the sentiment of many women on

48

Jennifer Jones

5. Since You Went Away

49

the home front: “As to the latter, my personal dissatisfaction, I’ve decided that an actual production job is the most likely answer. Not Wright Field, not committee stuff, but a nasty ear-splitting greasy overall job that would make the guns and planes real to me....” This sentiment was played merely for patriotism in the film adaptation with a rather self-satisfied Mrs. Hilton happy she can do her part for the war effort by accepting the job of welder in a shipyard, not out of financial necessity but out of a sense of duty. The scene of Anne Hilton talking with Zofia Koslowska (Alla Nazimova) in the shipyard cafeteria conveyed some sense of the working class struggle, with its backdrop of documentary footage of workers. But the attempt at realism was undermined by the overt flag-waving message within the scene. Following the end of the war, many female workers lost their jobs. They had served their purpose and were now required to return to their place in the home. The post-war society still viewed women as primarily homebodies. Any sense of independence instilled by their contribution to their country during the war was stripped from them. A scene in stark contrast to the patriotism of Since You Went Away involved self-centered, cynical social climber Emily Hawkins (Agnes Moorehead), who viewed wounded and maimed soldiers as beneath the dignity of her class. Hawkins and Jane Hilton clash when Hawkins criticizes Jane for her work as a nurse’s aide. This effective scene gives Jane Hilton a chance to vent her anger at the callous snobbery of Hawkins. Stanley Cortez provided memorable cinematography in the dance sequence at the Chamberlain Field hangar and in the emotional scene on the train station platform where Jane stands forlorn after seeing her boyfriend depart for deployment. The creative use of extreme long shadows in both scenes served to foreshadow future events and provided an expression of internal foreboding and anxiety. Late into filming, Selznick was forced to temporarily shut down production when cast and crew (including Jones, Colbert, Temple and Hattie McDaniel) were struck down with influenza. Filming finally wrapped on February 9, 1944, after 137 days. Approximately 18,831 feet of film totaling three and three-quarter hours had been shot. Following a preview screening, the initial running time of four hours was considered too long to maintain the interest of the general public. Documentary footage of factory and shipyard workers was radically reduced and three scenes of pre-war life featuring Mrs. Hilton’s husband Tim (Neil Hamilton) Opposite: A classic publicity photograph featuring (top to bottom) Jennifer Jones, Claudette Colbert and Shirley Temple.

50

Jennifer Jones

were cut. Selznick’s decision to remove Tim’s scenes from the final version seemed odd given the fact he was central to the story. We never see him interact with his family or depart for war. Framed photographs and handwritten messages in the family album are a weak substitute for actual footage of Tim Hilton and only serve to create a sense of distance and detachment for the audience. The original ending of Mrs. Hilton reflecting on her future as she walks to work was also ditched in favor of a more upbeat ending featuring the entire Hilton family looking out of a bedroom window of their home. In retrospect, this decision makes more sense and reinforces the idea expressed in the opening sequence of the American home and family being “The Unconquerable Fortress” against outside forces. Selznick was also unhappy with the music score by Alexander Tansman and replaced him with Max Steiner, who was rewarded with an Oscar for his work even though three themes were orchestrations of themes Steiner first scored for Selznick’s A Star Is Born (1937).11 During postproduction, on March 23, 1944, Selznick’s brother Myron died of a portal thrombosis at the age of forty-five. Myron’s alcoholism had undermined their relationship throughout the years and his early death came as no surprise. Selznick had been seeing therapist May Romm prior to filming on Since You Went Away for his mood swings related to a bipolar disorder and a growing dependence on Benzedrine that began in 1937.12 Romm’s therapy was working to an extent, but the death of Myron resulted in emotional grief and a deep depression that took Selznick away from his work for a short period during the spring of 1944. The premiere of Since You Went Away took place in June 1944 at the Carthay Circle, Hollywood, followed by the Capitol Theater in New York City on July 20. The film cost $2,780,000 to make and grossed almost $5,000,000 in its first year of release. Although a success with the public, many critics found the film to be an idealized, romantic version of America at war and too long at a running time of two hours and fifty minutes. Selznick was far from happy with the mixed critical reception and disappointed with the box office returns. Bosley Crowther, film critic for The New York Times ( July 21, 1944), had praise for the cast but was critical of the premise: As a typical American family, the one which Mr. Selznick has devised might be seriously questioned, however — except as a radiant ideal. There is a great deal of talk and anxiety about the family’s financial plight.... Yet their home is an absolute vision of well-decorated luxury. And the wardrobes of mama and the daughters seem inexhaustible. As the mother and center of the family, Claudette Colbert gives an excellent

5. Since You Went Away

51

The theatrical poster highlights David O. Selznick’s previous Oscar-winning films. show of gallantly self-contained emotion, and Jennifer Jones is surpassingly sweet as a well-bred American daughter in the first bloom of womanhood and love.

The film critic for Variety (1944) expressed a positive view: Since You Went Away is a heart-warming panorama of human emotions, reflecting the usual wartime frailties of the thoughtless and the chiseler, the confusion and uncertainty of young ideals and young love, all of it projected against a background of utterly captivating home love and life in the wholesome American manner.

Syndicated columnist Louella O. Parsons commented (February 11, 1945): It is another great picture and an added proof that Selznick has not lost his artistry.... Jennifer Jones belies the whisper that she is a ‘one-picture’ girl ... Jennifer, who starts as a gangly, sentimental girl, develops into a fine dramatic actress. Her scene when she runs after the train to look as long as possible at her fiancé who is going to war, evoked applause and found an echo in the hearts of many who have suffered the same heartbreak of parting and fear of what the future might bring.

52

Jennifer Jones

Ivan Spear writing in Box Office ( July 22, 1944) stated: [T]he master showman has painted his heart-warming picture of human strength and human weaknesses on the home front as they are brought to the surface of the war’s boiling cauldron. And at no time are his strokes permitted to become unnaturally bold. The film’s sad moments — and they are plentiful — are never maudlin, its comedy is never anything but spontaneous and reserved.... Possibly there is no such thing as a perfect cast. But until such a time as one is assembled this one will do nicely. There isn’t a mediocre performance in the picture.

In her syndicated column Party Line, Elsa Maxell remarked: The outstanding performance was given by Jennifer Jones.... As Jane, she becomes unquestionably the greatest young actress on the screen.

Life ( July 24, 1944) had harsh words for critics of the film: A genuinely heart-warming picture that will deeply move those who are personally involved. It will displease only those who profess to see in the war deeper intellectual meanings than are recorded in the picture.

James Agee writing for Time ( July 17, 1944) stated: [Selznick] has brought his newest find [Jones] out of cloister and made her an All-American girl. She rewards him with a nervous, carefully studied, somewhat over-intense performance.

The review for Sheboygan Press (November 11, 1944) said: Taking the simple theme of the life of an ordinary American family on the home front, he has woven the story of all America. It is the first real tribute to the unsung heroes of America’s superb war effort — the women and children back home.... [The] picture sets a mood of alternate pathos and humor — with the humor always predominating. No saga of sorrow this, rather it is a song of the courage, the hope and the ability of Americans to laugh and find happiness even in the face of tragedy.

Australian film critic “The Chiel” noted in The Argus (April 28, 1945): The story of an average American home under war conditions is a deliberate assault on the lachrymal ducts of the audience. It is well told and well acted but he could have tapped the tear flow quite as well had he not bored so deeply. There is no invidious intention in the use of the word ‘bored.’”

The film critic for The Sydney Morning Herald ( July 9, 1945) commented: Since You Went Away cannot merely be dismissed as a torrent of sentimentalism: beneath all the enlargement of normal war-time living into heroic patience of an epical cast there is a good deal of genuine emotion which will find its response in many Australian hearts.

5. Since You Went Away

53

Since You Went Away received nine Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Cinematography (Stanley Cortez, Lee Garmes), Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration (Mark-Lee Kirk, Victor A. Gangelin), Best Effects, Special Effects ( Jack Cosgrove, Arthur Johns), Best Film Editing (Hal C. Kern, James E. Newcom) plus Claudette Colbert (Best Actress in a Leading Role), Jennifer Jones (Best Actress in a Supporting Role), and Monty Woolley (Best Actor in a Leading Role). Only Max Steiner proved successful, receiving an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. On March 15, 1945, at the Academy Awards ceremony, Jones presented Ingrid Bergman with the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Gaslight (1944). Jones left the ceremony empty-handed when Ethel Barrymore received the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for None But the Lonely Heart (1944). Since You Went Away is very much a product of its time. The full emotional impact could only be appreciated by an audience living through the real-life events dramatized in the film. Any criticisms based on it being too sentimental or glamourized have to be tempered with the fact that America was at war. The audience were seeking family values and a sense of community rather than brutal reality. Viewed from this perspective, the film is effective. As a favor to Selznick, Alfred Hitchcock took time out from filming his latest feature Lifeboat to direct The Fighting Generation for the War Finance Division of the United States Treasury Department on October 9, 1944. Jones featured in a one minute, fifty-two second film that promoted the Sixth War Loan Drive that took place from November 20 to December 16, 1944. It was photographed by Gregg Toland on Stage 11 at the Selznick Studios; Jones appears as a nurse’s aide. The opening credits for the trailer emphasize Jones as an Academy Award–winning star and mentions her commitment to volunteer work, noting she is a “Graduate Nurse’s Aide, Class 38. American Red Cross, Los Angeles Chapter.” Jones and fellow nursing graduates are seen taking part in a ceremony that echoes the real-life graduation of Jones on August 13, 1943. Treating a patient in a hospital ward, Jones turns to the camera to recite a monologue, written by Stephen Longstreet, about the wounded soldier Johnny, Private First Class, who took the nurse’s aide to her first high school dance. Jones concludes the monologue with the message to buy a War Bond: “Surely that isn’t too much to do for a fighting generation.” Hitchcock, Longstreet and Toland were uncredited on the trailer.13 Rhonda Fleming is listed underneath Jones on the Vanguard Films Call Sheet as a Nurse’s Aide but doesn’t feature in the completed trailer. Fleming, who was under contract to Selznick at the time, has no memory of filming any

54

Jennifer Jones

scenes.14 In an e-mail to the author on March 4, 2010, Fleming described her first meeting with Jones: All I can recall about Jennifer, other than her being a marvelous actress, is that I first met her in about 1943 at David O. Selznick Studios where I had just been signed to a seven-year contract to prepare me for a debut role in Spellbound [1945]. We actually first met at the studio hair salon while having our hair washed and set and from time to time I recall seeing her outside Selznick’s office when I would be called to meet with him ... and some time later, possibly in 1944, I was invited to play tennis at Selznick’s home with Jennifer and others I don’t recall — she took me upstairs and loaned me a pair of tennis shoes and a tennis racket and we spent the afternoon playing tennis and enjoyed a light lunch — a very memorable day for a newcomer.

6 Love Letters A director is only as good as the story he has. And only as good as the talent he has in front of the camera. — Lee Garmes, cinematographer

Producer Hal B. Wallis first came across Chris Massie’s novel Pity My Simplicity at an airport. He immediately saw the potential for a film and purchased the screen rights for $35,000. Wallis approached Selznick with the treatment of Love Letters and a request for the loan of Jones to play the lead role as the enigmatic Miss Singleton. “She had the nervousness. The fey quality, the sense of abstraction the role demanded,” said Wallis.1 Following lengthy negotiations that culminated in a meeting with Selznick in his New York office, Wallis secured the talents of Jones and Joseph Cotten for $200,000 and 10 percent of the gross. Gregory Peck was Wallis’ first choice for role of Alan Quinton, but when approached he declined. One of the conditions laid down by Selznick was the hiring of cinematographer Lee Garmes, whom Selznick trusted to highlight Jones as the amnesiac Singleton a.k.a. VicJones’ face to best effect. Other toria Remington in Love Letters (1945). 55

56

Jennifer Jones

conditions included a salary of $100,000 for Jones and final approval on her hair, makeup and wardrobe by Selznick. The fee Selznick demanded was a huge increase from Jones’ previous films. The role of an amnesiac was causing problems for Jones who was experiencing trouble understanding the plot and how her character would react to losing her memory. What personality would an amnesiac possess if they had no recall of their past and true identity? Selznick ordered her to talk with his analyst May Fromm. Jones was told to play Singleton with the innocence of a child.2 The film opens in Italy in 1944. While writing love letters for his friend Roger Morland (Robert Sully), Captain Alan Quinton (Cotten) develops feelings for the mysterious Victoria Remington from Essex, England, and declares to Morland, “She’s in love with a man who doesn’t exist.” When Morland is assigned to England and marries his pen-friend sweetheart, Quinton finds himself jealous of his friend’s happiness despite the fact he is engaged to be married to Helen Wentworth (Ann Richards). Inheriting his aunt’s cottage in Beltmarsh, Essex, Quinton learns of Morland’s death and begins an obsessive search for Victoria Remington. After a casual meeting with a beautiful amnesiac named Singleton, Helen tells Quinton that she (Singleton) is Victoria Remington. The complexity increases when Quinton is also told she was found guilty of the manslaughter of Roger Morland. Quinton gradually unravels the truth behind his friend’s death as he falls in love with Singleton and comes to fear the day when she recovers her memory and learns the truth behind the love letters. In the course of adapting Massie’s novel, screenwriter Ayn Rand made various changes. Housekeeper Miss Cromwell became the male caretaker Mack. The reason for the change of sex may have been as simple as avoiding conflict with the Production Code Administration who would have viewed a single man and a female housekeeper co-habiting under the same roof as morally questionable. Changing the housekeeper to an elderly male avoided any criticism. PCA head Joseph Breen provided guidelines for changes to the script of Love Letters between September 7 and December 9, 1944. These involved toning down an early scene where Alan gets drunk at a party given by his fiancée, and meets Miss Singleton for the first time. Breen instructed, “[P]lease avoid stressing the drinking and drunkenness, beyond the point necessary to the story.”3 In the original novel, Morland isn’t murdered but dies accidentally. Victoria is accused of the murder of an elderly lady and dies by drowning. Rand removed the cumbersome and contrived murder of the elderly lady in Massie’s

6. Love Letters

57

story and placed a murder within a context that moved the story forward, actively involving Alan Quinton and Roger Morland. With filming underway, Selznick wanted daily updates on proceedings but kept a physical distance from face-to-face interference. Jones was reunited with Joseph Cotten from Since You Went Away and Gladys Cooper from The Song of Bernadette. Cotten and Cooper give commanding performances as the lovesick Alan and Victoria’s Aunt Beatrice, who knows the truth behind Morland’s death. Director William Dieterle captures a mystical quality in Jones that was first explored by Henry King in The Song of Bernadette. Miss Singleton is trapped in time in a manner that looks forward to Jennie Appleton in Dieterle’s Portrait of Jennie (1948). Promotional angles for Love Letters as detailed in Box Office magazine included the following instructions: “From newspaper files secure stories of strange amnesia cases and use them for lobby displays, along with famous love letters of literature and history.... Distribute sealed envelopes labeled ‘A Love Letter’ enclosing a replica of one of the tender missives used in the picture, across which is printed billing and play dates.” Catch lines used in advertising literature included “This Strange Story of a Man and a Woman Who Fell in Love with Each Other’s Letters ... Only to Bring Tragedy, Tears and Murder into their Lives.” In his autobiography Starmaker, Hal B. Wallis described how Selznick sent him an eight-page memorandum following the preview in Pasadena. The memo listed “suggestions for changes as if I were one of his employees.” Wallis adopted a few of Selznick’s suggestions based on their merit but as an experienced and talented producer in his own right he preferred to trust in his own judgment and the audience reaction rather than Selznick’s memo notes.4 Despite critics’ comments that ranged from “superb” to “fatuous,” Jones received her third successive Academy Award nomination Publicity photographs of Jones for Love and her second successive disap- Letters captured her beauty but gave no pointment when Joan Crawford hint of the inner conflict of a woman was awarded the Best Actress Oscar struggling to recover her identity.

58

Jennifer Jones

Jones in her second successive film opposite Joseph Cotten.

for Mildred Pierce (1945). Love Letters was also nominated in the categories Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White; Best Music, Original Song; and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. The film critic for Schenectady Gazette (December 26, 1945) remarked: [Jones’] portrayal is sincere and deeply moving throughout and the artistry with which she handles several gripping dramatic scenes should bring her another Oscar.... The effectiveness of Cotten’s performance lies to a great extent in his ability to create depth of character through underplaying rather than overemphasizing his role. His acting completely eclipses that of many of his more demonstrative counterparts.

Rosalind Shaffer of the St. Petersburg Times (March 3, 1946) wrote: Jennifer Jones did a superb job in Love Letters in making an unbelievable story almost real.

The Daily News (November 17, 1945) remarked: Are you in the mood for a picture that is haunting and appealing — one that will remain with you for days?... The dramatic story of Love Letters is so unusual you’ll want to discuss it with everyone you meet.

6. Love Letters

59

Life (September 24, 1945) made it their Movie of the Week: Love Letters starts off like an oversweet rendition of Hearts and Flowers, relating a well-meant hoax perpetrated by a man to help a friend ... but suddenly the sentimental story rams into a tortured plot of murder and near-insanity.... Told partly in skillful flashbacks, the film is made exciting by William Dieterle’s direction, made credible by the acting of Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten and a shrewd supporting cast.

The Ottawa Citizen (January 25, 1946) compared the film to Random Harvest by James Hilton with the heroine rather than the hero losing their memory: Jennifer Jones’ portrayal of the amnesia victim is a treat to behold — one of those rare performances that every actor and actress dreams of giving and manages to turn in once in a lifetime.

The New York Times (August 27, 1945) was less impressed with the film and Jones: Whatever reputation as an actress Jennifer Jones may have got for herself in The Song of Bernadette is quite likely to suffer a terrible dent as the result of her fatuous performance in Love Letters. And the distressing thing about it is that this isn’t entirely the lady’s fault. A worse script or less expert direction has seldom been tossed at an innocent star’s head.... Miss Jones plays the amnesiac as though she were still hearing voices and being tickled at one and the same time. Or to put it a little more graphically, she behaves like a tipsy high-school girl who has smelled the cork once too often and is all giggly and loose at the joints.... Joseph Cotten is the unfortunate actor who has to pretend to be the soulful and poetic fellow with the understanding pen....

The Sydney Morning Herald (April 8, 1946) was more favorable: The core of idealism in even the most skeptical heart will respond to the beautiful acting and direction which [in Love Letters] finds an uncanny, poetic balance between the quite unreal story and the real world in which the characters (and audiences) move.... The whole thing is rather a fairy tale, but, like Andersen’s, the fairy tale is grim and a little unnerving until it is resolved, too suddenly and too easily, in a romantically happy ending.... Jennifer Jones proves that her success in Bernadette was not a fluke by the exquisite mixture of dark mystery and petal freshness of her portrayal of the “lost soul.”

Variety (1945) commented: Let the tears fall where they may —Love Letters is that type of story: warm and appealing, sentimental and emotional ... Jennifer Jones gives to the part of the girl an elfin quality that at times reaches sheer brilliance. [Cotten] gives a fine, quietly restrained characterization, while Robert Sully is the officer-scoundrel she marries, a more-or-less bit part that he handles satisfactorily.

Time (September 10, 1945) had reserved praise for Jones:

60

Jennifer Jones

Played as straight romance, this complicated fantasy is so elegantly presented that it becomes not only exciting but almost believable. Director William Dieterle wrings the last dramatic drop out of scene after scene. Photographer Lee Garmes, aided by some new painted canvas reflectors of his own devising, turns out a mellow masterpiece of lights and textures.... Except when she overuses her eyes in fey moments, Jennifer Jones more than delivers on the promise of her Song of Bernadette. Restrained Joseph Cotten gives the film its needed ballast of sanity.

The film critic for the Prescott Evening Courier (May 9, 1946) remarked: The mood of Love Letters is haunting, romantic and strangely portentous. Love, murder and violent emotions combine to weave the curious tapestry of an enthralling story.

On October 24, 1949, Cotten reprised his role as Captain Alan Quinton on Screen Director’s Playhouse. The thirty-minute radio dramatization featured Barbara Eisler as Singleton. He appeared yet again as Alan Quinton (alongside Joan Fontaine as Singleton) on The Screen Guild Theater, broadcast on June 22, 1950. On December 22, 1944, the North American Newspaper Alliance published an article that claimed to be written by Jennifer Jones as guest columnist for the vacationing Harold Heffernan. In the column, she discussed actors’ fears of being “typed” and identified for one role. She then proceeded to explain why being typed shouldn’t be feared: “[B]eing typed is a tribute, not a danger to be feared. Whoever can do one role well can also do another role equally well if the same degree of work and inspiration is brought to it.”5

7 Cluny Brown “The trouble with young Cluny,” said Mr. Porritt, “is she don’t seem to know her place.” — Margery Sharp’s novel Cluny Brown (1944)

On October 26, 1944, Darryl F. Zanuck announced that Jennifer Jones would be directed by Ernst Lubitsch in Cluny Brown following the settlement of a legal dispute between 20th Century–Fox and David O. Selznick. Jones had failed to follow up The Song of Bernadette with a second film for Fox as stated in her contract. She had been slated for Laura (1944) but Selznick thought her unsuitable for the role. Fox sued and Selznick counter-sued.1 Cluny Brown would finally fulfill her contractual agreement to Fox. In Robinn Coons’ syndicated “Hollywood” column, Maureen O’Hara expressed her desire to star as Cluny Brown: “The part requires a plain girl, and Jennifer — she’s so beautiful. She could never be plain enough, and I — oh, I’m really the one for that part.” But O’Hara’s plea was in vain. Margery Sharp had sold the rights to her novel based on the condition that Jones be cast as Cluny Brown. Charles Boyer’s primary motive for accepting his role was the opportunity to work with his friend Lubitsch. Sharp also happened to be his wife’s favorite author.2 British writer Margery Sharp (1905–1991) explored themes of Britain’s rigid class structure and the renegade spirit in her first novel, Rhododendron Pie (1930). Sharp came back to these themes to greater effect in Cluny Brown, originally serialized in Ladies’ Home Journal from July to September 1944 as “Be Good, Sweet Maid.” Zanuck and Lubitsch acquired the film rights prior to the release of Sharp’s novel. James Hilton was then given the task of adapting Sharp’s story for the screen before filming began on December 3, 1945. For the English village of Friars Carmel, the village set from The Song of Bernadette was utilized. Alterations included French buildings being replaced with English houses and shops. The cobbled street remained intact. 61

62

Jennifer Jones

The film opens as Hilary Ames (Reginald Gardiner) hires a plumber to clean his blocked sink in time for his cocktail party. With her Uncle Arn (Billy Bevan) ill, Cluny Brown arrives on the scene. Ames and visiting Czech author Adam Belinski (Boyer) are intrigued by the eccentric Cluny who clearly finds great pleasure in fixing blocked pipes. With her uncle ordering her to enter domestic service, Cluny finds herself working as a maid at Friars Carmel Manor, but the free-spirited lass soon finds herself in trouble for failing to obey the social norms. At the manor, Cluny meets up again with Belinski, who is staying at Friars Carmel as a guest. When Belinski learns that Cluny is dating the local chemist Mr. Wilson (Richard Haydn), he does his best to sabotage their romance before Cluny can make the mistake of marrying Wilson. A story involving Andrew Carmel (Peter Lawford), Belinski and the beautiful Betty Cream (Helen Walker) only serves to shift the focus from Cluny to the extent that she is absent from much of the latter part of the film. This disturbs the structure of the film until she reappears in the final scenes and departs for America with Belinski at her side.

In Cluny Brown (1946), wary Adam Belinski (Charles Boyer, left) and Cluny (Jones) exchange pleasantries with Mr. Wilson (Richard Haydn) on a country lane.

7. Cluny Brown

63

This comedy of manners is fueled by confusion, sexual double entendre (in the form of blocked plumbing and banging of pipes) and mistaken identity in a style that owes a slight debt to the work of Oscar Wilde. Jones is charming in the title role and only limited by the faults in the script. In early scenes she is a carefree young woman willing to experience life outside the restrictions of her class. Yet later in the film, the audience has to believe that Cluny would date a pompous, unattractive chemist with the personality of a lead weight. At this point, laughs are replaced by incredulity and the film loses traction. Sharp partly defines Cluny’s character in her novel with two comments. The first is from Belinski, who tells Cluny, “For you I imagine the whole universe is to let.” The second is from Cluny, reflecting on her ambitions to Belinski: “I want something to happen.” Her attraction to the life of a village chemist seems all the more contradictory given these comments. In Sharp’s original novel, Cluny is described by her Uncle Arnold Porrit as “plain as a boot.” As played by Jones, Cluny is far from plain and as a consequence the romance between her and the chemist becomes farcical rather than amusing. The acting of Richard Haydn as Jonathan W. Wilson is overstated in his attempt to convey the emotionally repressed English chemist. Instead he delivers a caricature that misses the mark. Cluny’s interest in the stuffy Mr. Wilson belies her carefree spirit. Is Cluny nothing more than a conservative social climber? The script points in this direction and some sympathy is lost for her character. The screenplay shows weaknesses when it ignores Sharp‘s original story. In Sharp’s novel, Betty Cream and Cluny are played against each other. This defines Brown’s character as an independently thinking individual trying to break through the boundaries of convention. “[Betty] perceived, for a fleeting moment, a bond of union between herself and the tall dark girl with the water-can. They were neither of them dependent on external circumstances.” The novel begins in February 1938. The film shifts the time frame to June 1938. This seemingly insignificant difference takes on greater meaning when we see that Belinski has changed nationality from Polish in Sharp’s novel to Czech in Lubitsch’s film. June 1938 incorporates the approaching threat of Hitler which resulted a few months later in the annexation of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia following the signing of the Munich Pact. These subtleties give Lubitsch more ground to satirize the British as ineffectual based on what many perceived as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s weakness in signing the Munich Pact and trusting in Hitler. Cluny and Belinski share common ground in that they are residents at Carmel Friars as the result of influences beyond their control and not freedom of choice. Both desire a sense of belonging and home, and both are looking in the wrong place.

64

Jennifer Jones

In both the novel and film, Betty rejects Belinski’s advances in her bedroom. But in the film the scene is confusing, because his affection for Betty hasn’t been explored in any depth and therefore he comes across as lecherous and desperate rather than amorous. Cluny’s actions are more impulsive in the novel. This is demonstrated to best effect at the conclusion where Cluny decides on a whim to accept Belinski’s offer to leave with him on the train. There is no disagreement with Mr. Wilson to give her motivation. She acts impulsively as a free-spirited girl without considering the consequences. In contrast, the film finale sees Cluny rescued by Belinski from a boring future as the wife of a village chemist and a snoring mother-in-law. The film also misses subtleties of the relationship between Cluny and her Uncle Arn. Far from being a one-dimensional, strict authoritarian, he shows affection for his niece in a typically English roundabout manner. These differences in the transition from novel to film create an uneven quality in characterization within the film. Both the film and Sharp’s original story view America as a classless society where a Czech refugee and a plumber from London can flourish without fear of having “to know their place.” Cluny is finally dressed as a lady and Belinski is a bestselling author. America equals the land of opportunity and freedom in contrast to a pre-war Europe about to suffer the wrath of Adolf Hitler. The rigid British class system was the target of both the novel and film. Understandably the British public and critics of the time failed to see the joke from across the Atlantic. Only the British could be allowed to parody the British. The American public and critics were more amused and the film was a moderate success. Director Lubitsch, noticing that the laughter of audiences was drowning out many of the best lines, said, “Good. Maybe people will go twice to hear the lines they’ve missed.”3 Box Office (May 4, 1946) declared: Here’s a natural!... The cast is studded with names of proven drawing power; the production value is evident in every lavish setting and idyllic exterior; the dialog is clever; interest in the fast-moving story never flags; the plot ... is hilarious. Put them all together and you’re got-box office. [Lubitsch] has taken a Cinderella narrative — always a sure-fire hit from the customer’s point of view — and imbued it with further charm, romance and gaiety.

Norbert Lusk of the Los Angeles Times ( June 10, 1946) remarked: It is refreshingly original, sophisticated and slyly humorous, a film for the worldly.

Film critic Mae Tinee stated in the Chicago Daily Tribune ( June 24, 1946):

7. Cluny Brown

65

A bemused Uncle Arn (Billy Bevan) ponders what to do with Cluny Brown (Jones). The cast couldn’t be better and the harpooning is deft and humorous. It’s an excellent ribbing of the rock-ribbed English of several classes, from the upper, to the lower....

Life (May 27, 1946) commented: Ernst Lubtsch spoofs English propriety as much as he spoofed Soviet Puritanism in Ninotchka in 1939.... Reasonably common English types have been changed into off-center but acutely recognizable portraits....

Variety (1946) said: Cluny Brown can be recorded as glamorizing the first of a clan. A lady plumber. And a looker, no less. The kind for whom stopped-up pipes are a pleasure.... Cluny is in the best Lubitsch tradition of subtle, punch comedy, and his two stars make the most of it. It is a satire on British manners, with bite and relish.

Toledo Blade ( June 14, 1946) remarked: Jennifer Jones ... reveals a talent for frolicsome comedy which is pleasant.... [Lubitsch’s] job on this film could hardly be called inspired. The picture lacks

66

Jennifer Jones

pace and clarity, and the continuity has a tendency to limp. However it is above average entertainment and well worth a visit.

James Agee of The Nation ( June 8, 1946) wrote: One main difficulty is that comedies about snobbism seem, as a rule, to depend on stimulating and playing up to, rather than shriveling, the worst kinds of snobbism in the audience. In spite of this, Ernst Lubitsch’s direction ... makes the film more amusing than there was any other reason to expect....

The Sydney Morning Herald (August 19, 1946) commented: A certain amount of satire on the English way of life has been infused into the film, but it has been done without malice, in a gentle way which the English may take as a compliment.... [This is Jones’] first comedy role, and fits her better than some in which she has been seen recently. The film proceeds pleasantly and amusingly in an unorthodox way that is the mark of Lubitsch direction, to a conventional Hollywood ending.

The New York Times ( June 3, 1946): The offering is among the year’s most delightful film comedies. For, from this adaptation of Margery Sharp’s best-selling novel, Mr. Lubitsch has produced and directed his most gaily irreverent escapade since Ninotchka of fond memory. As presented here, Cluny Brown’s partial biography is no starkly factual file but is a tongue-in-cheek, double-entendre tale of an ebullient lass whose affections are divided equally between plumbing crises and affairs of the heart.... Dialogue and direction transform Jennifer Jones into the renegade Cluny, who can’t resist a stuffed drain or the austere courtship of Mr. Wilson, the pharmacist. Her performance is opposite and qualitatively equal to her delineation of St. Bernadette, for which she captured the Academy’s statuette.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ( June 29, 1946) critic Harold V. Cohen was more reserved in his praise: It’s probably the screenplay that sinks Cluny Brown.... Miss Margery Sharp’s novel was good, biting and funny; the adaptation’s too pat and precocious, too confounded cute, and the humor has a dogged sameness. Things are neither well-rounded, firm nor fully-packed. Miss Jennifer Jones is good enough in the title role, but this is not exactly her forte.... Miss Jones plays with ease and charm until both the part and the picture run out on her. Her Cluny is acceptable and agreeable, if not believable.

Cluny Brown gave Jones the chance to display her comedic skills. Her performance brought her the Achievement Award from Look magazine, but unknown to Jones at the time, Cluny Brown marked the temporary end of light-hearted roles. The film was only a moderate hit at the box office and remains one of Lubitsch’s least celebrated films. The years to follow would see her cast in roles that highlighted a destruc-

7. Cluny Brown

67

tive sexuality. She would have to wait until Beat the Devil in 1953 before she could explore her comedic acting skills again. Charles Boyer reprised his role as Adam Belinski twice on radio. A Lux Radio Theatre production starring Olivia de Havilland as Cluny Brown was broadcast on January 27, 1947. A thirty-minute Screen Director’s Playhouse radio dramatization on November 23, 1950, featured Dorothy McGuire as Cluny Brown. Duel in the Sun was released after Cluny Brown, but Jones was still filming Charles Boyer and Jones in a publicity photoDuel in the Sun scenes as graph for Cluny Brown. late as October 29, 1945 — the date she was due to report to 20th Century–Fox to begin filming on Cluny Brown.4 The role of Pearl Chavez had left her both physically and emotionally exhausted (see Chapter 8). Jones was also feeling the impact of being involved in a relationship with an obsessive and possessive man who was ruling her professional and personal life but wanted the best of all possible worlds for himself. She had left Robert Walker for Selznick but it appeared he wasn’t prepared to commit to her in the same manner. A distraught Jones took an overdose of sleeping pills shortly after filming began on Cluny Brown. Selznick decided it was best if the doctors pumped her stomach at home rather than attract the attention of the press. Jones was unhappy with Selznick’s refusal to leave his wife Irene and the overdose served as a warning not to treat her like a mistress. The shock tactic almost resulted in Jones losing her life and it was only a chance telephone call by Anita Colby to Jones (picked up by her servant) that led to the discovery of Jones unconscious in her bed.5 The incident was kept private and Jones resumed filming on Cluny Brown as though nothing had happened.

8 Duel in the Sun I sort of hypnotize myself. I find myself really living the roles I play. I’ve read about the East Indian fakirs and mystics who are able to throw themselves into a trance, and I think that my own mental state is something like a trance when I’m acting. — Jennifer Jones, Modern Screen (April 1947)

Duel in the Sun was originally slated as a RKO project in 1944 with Teresa Wright in the role of half-breed Pearl Chavez. Wright was married at the time to writer Niven Busch, who had been hired by the head of RKO, Charles Koerner, to adapt his own novel from a script by Oliver Garnett. Wright’s pregnancy ruled her out early in the proceedings. Hedy Lamarr dropped out for the same reason. Third in line was Jennifer Jones. (Some sources also mention Veronica Lake as a possible candidate.) Meanwhile, John Wayne had been signed to play Lewt McCanles. David O. Selznick was approached by Koerner in the hope he would loan Jones to RKO. But the casting of Wayne was the first of many problems Selznick envisaged. The character of McCanles called for a violent sexuality that Selznick found unsuitable for Wayne. “I know he is a big favorite right now,” stated Selznick. “But he is the exact opposite of what the script requires.”1 Instead of loaning Jones to RKO, Selznick bought the rights to the novel and the adaptations by Busch and Garrett on November 17, 1944. Wayne was discarded immediately. Selznick’s choice of Gregory Peck as Lewt McCanles was just as contentious. Peck was considered more of a cerebral actor, excelling in roles such as the missionary priest in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) and the troubled amnesiac in Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945). Peck found it difficult to get inside the psychology of a rapist and killer. Director King Vidor suggested Peck base his characterization on Sportin’ Life from Porg y and Bess. Peck later admitted he used his cousin Warren as the main model for Lewt McCanles. Warren had a reputation as a ladies man and 68

8. Duel in the Sun

69

was viewed as a likable rogue. “I borrowed that small-town arrogance in his way with women,” commented Peck to biographer Michael Freedland.2 Anita Colby had the unique job title “Feminine Director of the Selznick Studios” from 1944 to 1947. The former model known as “The Face” was hired by Selznick to teach Jones and his other contract actresses the art of beauty, presentation and publicity. Colby recalled Jones’ preparation for her character: She walked very erect almost as though she had a week’s washing or a big jug of water on her head ... her bosom carried high ... her hips swinging free.... For a week before we began shooting, Jennifer packed herself off to a reservation near the Mexican border, and watched the half-breed Indian women with their work on their heads ... until she could do it instinctively.3

Magazine writer Elizabeth Wilson also spent time on the set with Jones and described her preparing for the role with a dancing lesson each day and learning to ride a horse and handle a rifle. Jones told Wilson, “I still don’t ride very well. I feel as familiar with a rifle as I do with a cup and saucer.” Asked about Pearl Chavez Jones replied, “She isn’t a bad girl really. She’s an exciting girl ... she’s just in love with the wrong man. You have great sympathy for her.”4 Selznick’s script described Pearl as a “mixture of fire and ice” and “a shecat with silky hair, muscles and softness.” Duel in the Sun began filming 41 miles from Tucson, Arizona, at an altitude of 5,000 feet, on March 4, 1945. Peck still had final scenes to complete at MGM on The Yearling where he played a gentle backwoods farmer and family man in post–Civil War Florida. The anticipated sun and heat of the Arizona desert turned to snow, high winds and freezing temperatures of 25 degrees during the three weeks on location. The two-storey McCanles family ranch house was constructed in five weeks (on land owned by Coronado National Park and leased by High Haven Ranch), along with two barns and a windmill made out of artificially weatherbeaten timber.5 On their return to Hollywood, the desert landscape of Arizona passing for Texas was duplicated on a sound stage. The unexpected arrival of pioneering director D.W. Griffith on the set of Duel in the Sun made Lionel Barrymore and Lillian Gish a little self-conscious; their former boss from their days at Biograph was forced to hide himself behind scenery as Barrymore and Gish filmed their scenes. Barrymore, who was suffering from rheumatic pain, insisted on mounting his horse with the aid of a ladder and the assistance of wranglers. The film opens to the narration of Orson Welles and scenes of a bloodred Texas landscape as Welles describes Pearl Chavez as “a wild flower, spring

70

Jennifer Jones

from the hard clay, quick to blossom and early to die.” The sexual atmosphere of the story is established immediately with a provocative dance by Pearl’s Native American mother (Tilly Losch) in the gambling palace of the Presidio. Pearl’s father Scott Chavez (Herbert Marshall) follows his wife and her lover (Sidney Blackmer) from the Presidio, he shoots them both in cold blood and is found guilty of murder. Following his execution, Pearl travels to Paradise Flats, nicknamed “The Paris of the Pecos,” at the invitation of her second cousin Laura Belle McCanles (Gish). On her arrival, Jesse McCanles ( Joseph Cotten) introduces Pearl to Spanish Bit Ranch and the head of the family Senator Jackson Tilt McCanles (Barrymore) who greets her with derision: “Is it what they’re wearing this season in wigwams?” Cattle baron Senator McCanles is a racist who favors his younger son Lewton (Gregory Peck). The Senator resents the railroad going through his land and threatens to shoot unarmed men; the U.S. Cavalry arrive in time to save the day. Jesse McCanles sees the hatred within his own father and sympathizes with the railroad men, causing the Senator to disown him and call him “Judas.” An approaching thunderstorm signals trouble ahead for Pearl, whose flirting with Lewt McCanles has aroused his desire for her. With his family involved in the railroad dispute, he sees the perfect opportunity to corner Pearl in her room. Pearl initially resists his advances but finally gives way under force. Despite this assault, Pearl continues to be attracted to Lewt but her attempt to make him envious by accepting the marriage proposal of aging straw boss Sam Pierce (Charles Bickford) backfires when Lewt kills Pierce in a shootout. With Senator McCanles blaming the “Indian girl” for Lewt’s troubles, Lewt soon finds himself heading for MexIn Duel in the Sun (1946), Lewt McCanles (Gregory Peck) and Pearl Chavez ( Jones) find them- ico. Despite his killing selves drawn to each other against their better Pierce and having a $2,000 judgment. bounty on his head, Pearl

8. Duel in the Sun

71

wants to join Lewt in Mexico and pleads with him to take her, but he responds with a kick to her face and rides away. She feels lost without him and is drawn to the self-destructive Lewt against her better judgment. With his mother dying, Jesse returns to Spanish Bit and invites Pearl to move to Austin to live with him and his fiancée Helen. When Lewt hears about Jesse’s plans, he demands that Pearl return to the ranch. A showdown with his brother Jesse results in near tragedy, setting up the dramatic conclusion at Squaw’s Head Rock where Pearl and Lewt die in each other’s embrace after declaring their love for each other. Duel in the Sun played to Jones’ sexuality — something she wasn’t comfortable with. Jones wasn’t a large-breasted woman and needed work on the molding of her breasts to accentuate them. She had to learn to dance from her hips for a scene where she dances for Lewt in a sexually provocative manner. Jones’ work was ultimately in vain as the dance ended up on the film editor’s floor. Elizabeth Wilson visited the set and wrote, “Jennifer takes her acting very seriously.... [S]he hasn’t the warm graciousness of an Ingrid Bergman, the gay friendliness of a Betty Hutton, or the intelligent cordiality of a Bette Davis. She is tense. And detached.”6 King Vidor said of Jones, “We would start the day by talking about the story and the characters and the action coming up. She would fix those luminous, intelligent eyes on my face. I could actually see her gradually becoming Pearl Chavez. Jennifer Jones would disappear as if she had never existed.”7 From day one, Selznick placed pressure on Vidor by demanding he be ready to go straight into filming each morning and not waste excessive time on setting up scenes. The climax of the film was among the first scenes filmed at the Arizona location in March, 1945. Selznick’s obsession with his wife resulted in her literally scrambling over the rocky landscape and scraping her arms, knees and legs in the process. Vidor knew this level of demanding intensity from Selznick foreshadowed trouble ahead. Selznick was a producer who was poor at delegating work and trusting in his employees. This meddling resulted in tension among the crew who had their individual areas of expertise second-guessed by jack-of-all-trades David O. Selznick. He expressed his dislike of too many close-ups, angles and lighting. Selznick’s desire for control reached obsessive proportions when he gave strict orders to Vidor “that not a single scene was to be photographed, not even a single angle of a single scene, until I was telephoned to come down on the set to check the lighting, the setup, and the rehearsal.”8 Selznick had visions of a Western version of Gone with the Wind against the backdrop of the expansion of the railroads and a cattle baron resisting change. This vision exposed the original story’s limitations. He wanted an

8. Duel in the Sun

73

epic set in the West based on a novel that was basically pulp fiction. Selznick ditched the majority of the characters and changed the ending of the novel that saw Pearl Chavez kill Lewt McCanles and join his brother Jesse. Selznick’s version of a heroine who longed for death in the arms of the man who raped her seemed perverse at best. To many it was simply extreme bad taste. Vidor was conflicted when told to film scenes of Jones, bent over and washing the floor with her backside wiggling in a provocative manner. Selznick was displaying his young, nubile star as a sex object for the world to see. Women’s groups were appalled at a storyline that showed a half-breed woman being raped. There was also an element of racism involved in the underlying theme of the white man’s right to own and sexually abuse a half-caste. Pearl’s continued attraction to Lewt following the rape delivered a mixed message. Was rape somehow acceptable? In the days before political correctness, studio references to Pearl were often laced with an underlying prejudice. A man from the Selznick publicity department casually called her “a primitive little half-breed” to a reporter.9 And while the theme of racism was addressed in the film through the character of Senator Jackson Tilt McCanles, his attitude was echoed by many. Half-breed Indians were seen as trouble. The implication that she tempted Lewt McCanles and actually enjoyed the attack in some perverse manner speaks to a culture where half-breeds were seen as inferior to the white man and treated with little respect. This was a cruel, hard fact of Texas in the late nineteenth century. Production was affected by a series of strikes by the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees, the Screen Actors Guild and the Teamsters Union. The longest strike closed down production from April 18 to June 25, 1945. It gave Selznick the opportunity to revise the script even further but marked the beginning of the end of Selznick’s working relationship with Vidor. Selznick was sabotaging his own film with his demands on Vidor and the actors. He added seventy-five scenes and ordered re-shoots of completed scenes. Vidor didn’t appreciate being reprimanded on the set by Selznick. It undermined his authority and created tension among the crew and actors. He quit following an argument with Selznick while on location at Lasky Mesa in the San Fernando Valley, California. Assured by Vidor that the scene was ready to film, Selznick retreated to his trailer to attend to other work. On his return he was astounded to discover Vidor had ordered dolly tracks to be built to improve the scene. Selznick estimated Vidor had cost him up to $25,000. Selznick directed the remainder of the scene.10 Opposite: Sultry Pearl Chavez (Jones) is attracted to the dark, sexual and amoral aspect of her personality.

74

Jennifer Jones

William Dieterle was brought in to replace Vidor with additional footage shot by William Cameron Menzies, Otto Brower, Chester Franklin, B. Reeves Eason, Josef von Sternberg and Hal Kern. Six cinematographers (Lee Garmes, Ray Rennahan, W. Howard Greene, Hal Rosson, Rex Wimpy and Charles Boyle) were assigned various scenes in Arizona and California, with Jack Cosgrove providing the matte paintings of Squaw’s Head Rock, atmospheric skies and the Spanish Bit Ranch sign.11 Selznick chose the composer for Duel in the Sun by giving six composers a scene to score, paying them two weeks’ salary and then deducting that salary from the wages of the eventual winner. Miklos Rozsa was approached and declined to put himself through the “humiliation” as he had recently scored Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945) for Selznick and felt no inclination to prove himself again.12 Dimitri Tiomkin’s score for Duel in the Sun bears the fingerprints of Selznick’s meddling hands. The inclusion of Stephen Foster’s sentimental “Beautiful Dreamer” is an instance of Tiomkin’s original score being edited and revised after Tiomkin had completed his work. But Tiomkin wasn’t averse to revising his own work himself. His themes from Meet John Doe (1941) and Lost Horizon (1937) are utilized on Duel in the Sun; “Pearl’s Casino Dance” was originally composed by Tiomkin for the Albertina Rasch Dancers.13 Dimitri Tiomkin said of his approach the film music, “A film score should not be ‘background,’ it should be unobtrusive and must be relevant, certainly otherwise films would become operas with pictures — but the scores should take a prominent part in building the atmosphere and interpreting the action, and not just be used to fill in the silences between the dialogue. Film music should be able to stand apart from the film.”14 The oft-told story of Selznick telling Tiomkin to compose an Orgasm theme for scenes involving Jones15 demonstrates the mentality of a producer out of touch with the boundaries of good taste. His off-screen relationship with her was clouding his judgment. The final budget came in at $4,575,000. Following a disastrous preview screening in February 1946, Selznick was forced to add another $500,000 to the budget with new footage. King Vidor was awarded sole credit for the final film by the Arbitration Board, who oversaw a dispute for accreditation between Selznick and Vidor. But the reality of the situation made it clear that the completed film was a team effort with Vidor, William Dieterle and Otto Brower filming the majority of the footage. Only B. Reeves Eason and Brower received second-unit director credits on the completed film, despite recommendations from Selznick that Dieterle receive a director credit. Objections raised by the National Legion of Decency forced Selznick to make fifty-six cuts, including edits to the infamous rape scene where shots of

8. Duel in the Sun

75

Pearl Chavez throwing a rag at Lewt and running around the room in an effort to escape his clutches were cut in an effort to lessen the impact of the rape. A scene in which Pearl arouses Lewt with an erotic dance was also cut, although the end result of the dance remained intact. Archbishop Cantwell called the film “morally offensive and spiritually depressing.”15 The situation enraged Selznick and he felt himself betrayed by the Code Authority and Producers Association for refusing to support him. The numerous enforced cuts were denied by Selznick in an advertising campaign; he stated that the film was only “three minutes shorter than its original form.” Publicity went into overdrive at the 72nd Kentucky Derby when 5,000 tiny parachutes fell from the sky onto the crowd. It was a promotional stunt that even Selznick disapproved of given the fact the film was seven months away from being released. Two The theatrical poster included vivid painted million dollars was spent on portraits of the lead players. promotion which also included all manner of trivia items that bore the Duel in the Sun logo including T-shirts, paperweights, lollipops, buttons, writing pads, pencils, stickers, and sweaters. Anita Colby, Florence Pritchett, Laura Wells and Inga Arvad (collectively known as the Four Urges) conducted their own separate press tours and parties which included modeling clothes worn in the film. Advertising tie-ins included

Jennifer Jones

76

the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company Paints, Saddle Up shaving lotion, Sun Kraft ultraviolet lamp, the Cigar Institute of America, Sun Red nail polish, Benrus Watch Company and Ronrico Rum’s “Duel in the Sun Cocktail.” made up of 2/3 white rum, 1/3 pale dry sherry and a twist of lemon peel. Even Cole Bros. Circus elephants wore Duel in the Sun stickers.16 United Artists refused to release the film following a deal between Selznick and RKO to let Dore Schary take control of RKO after the sudden death of Charles Koerner. The deal involved RKO purchasing several Vanguard packages on a partnership basis. Increasing budget problems were eased with the sale of Notorious (1946) in a package deal with RKO in July 1945. That brought Vanguard Films an immediate profit of $525,000 with a fiftyfifty percentage split on future profits. United Artists had no say in the proceedings. Lawsuits and counter-suits between Selznick and United Artists, headed by Charles Chaplin and Mary Pickford, followed. The end result was Selznick Releasing Organization, created specifically for the release of Duel in the Sun. Selznick was eventually awarded $2 million in a settlement by Chaplin and Pickford.17 The release of the film was hampered even further by a strike at the Technicolor plant in 1946. It premiered at L.A.’s Egyptian Theatre on December 30, 1946. It went into general release on May 7, 1947. In New York City, the film opened simultaneously in thirty-eight Loew’s theaters. Selznick’s distribution company proved to be an early success with Duel in the Sun going into profit thanks to the 60 percent saving on distribution cost. Box office receipts totaled $9 million only six months after its release. Selznick was now in control — a position he relished. Because of the outcry created by the sex scenes, Duel in the Sun didn’t premiere in Memphis, Tennessee, until 1959. Duel in the Sun received mixed reviews. Life (February 10, 1947) summarized the appeal of the film to the general public: When a single movie offers murder, rape, attempted fratricide, train wrecking, fisticuffs, singing, dancing ... drunkenness, religion, war, prostitution, fancy equitation ... and sacred and profane love all in 135 minutes ... the fact that it has neither taste nor art is not likely to deter the unsqueamish. Condemned last week by California branches of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish organizations, by the D.A.R., by the American Legion Auxiliary, the Girl Scouts ... and threatened with a possible ban by the Legion of Decency, Duel reaped the usual reward: a 30% rise at the box office.

Variety (1946) commented: Single scenes that stand out include Jennifer Jones’ peril in riding bareback on a runaway horse, filmed against the vast scope of the western scene. King Vidor’s

8. Duel in the Sun

77

direction keeps the playing in step with production aims. He pitches the action to heights in the top moments and generally holds the overall mood desired.... Jones as the half-breed proves herself extremely capable in quieter sequences but is overly meller in other. Same is true of Peck as the virile younger Texan raised to love ’em and leave ’em. Contrasting is Joseph Cotten as the older son. Role in his hands is believable and never overdrawn.

The New York Times (May 8, 1947) stated: Despite all his flashy exploitation, Mr. Selznick can’t long hide the fact that his multimillion-dollar Western is a spectacularly disappointing job. These are harsh words ... but the ultimate banality of the story and its juvenile slobbering over sex compels their use.... Miss Jones gives occasional glints of the pathos of loneliness and heartbreak, but mostly she has to pretend to be the passion-torn child of nature in the loosest theatrical style. The final scene, in which she punctures Mr. Peck with several well-aimed rifle shots, is wounded herself and then crawls to him across the rocks to die with him in his arms, is one of those chunks of theatrics that ranks with Liza crossing the ice.

The Milwaukee Journal ( July 3, 1947) advised its readers to avoid the film: [Pearl] doesn’t walk; she undulates.... Even more spectacular are the bad story, bad acting and bad taste in which the picture is presented.... The mountain of labor has brought forth a mouse of a movie.... The picture is being shown simultaneously at four neighborhood theaters — all at advanced prices. The technique is to sell as many tickets as possible before word gets around. We can think of no better reason to go fishing over the holiday.

The film critic for St. Petersburg’s The Independent ( July 21, 1947) commented: Sex and scenery are featured in the super-western Duel in the Sun.... The players did their roles well enough but had to struggle to put over a story that was trite.... These who saw Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette will never recognize her as ‘Pearl’.... I liked her very much better in her first picture.... [Duel] most certainly plays everything from the sex angle and at times is decidedly broad in its inferences.

Gregory Peck enjoyed his time working on the film as he explained to Alice Pardoe West in March 1950: “It gave me an opportunity to show some versatility, jumping from the saint to the sinner. And then I love to ride and I had plenty of it in that picture. I enjoyed working with Jennifer Jones. She is a fine actress.” But Joseph Cotten was unhappy in his role as Jesse McCanles and had urged Selznick not to cast him. His lackluster performance demonstrates that Cotten was correct and Selznick wrong. To ease the boredom, Cotten distracted himself off set drinking martinis, referring to himself as “Dressy Jesse” and keeping the company of pretty girls.

78

Jennifer Jones

Jones and Gregory Peck enjoyed a good working relationship on Duel in the Sun.

Jones delivers a mixed performance that often resembles posing rather than acting, but she successfully conveys a sexual presence and handles the action sequences with flair. Pearl Chavez is conflicted between the desire to be a “good girl” and the underlying feeling that at heart she is “trash” like her mother. Her low sense of self-worth invites the wrong type of man. She finds the dangerously reckless character of Lewt McCanles appealing and repugnant at the same time. Lewt is equally conflicted in his attraction for a half-breed and the desire to please his father who detests anything connected with the Chavez family because of his wife’s affair with Pearl’s father. The usually reserved Peck adapts to playing a bad guy with a touch of mischief. Lewt McCanles isn’t portrayed as evil but as self-centered, with a sense of entitlement — a spoiled rich kid used to getting his own way at any cost. The acting honors belong to Lionel Barrymore as the racist father who alone manages to convey genuine emotion, ranging from rage to regret. Any faults with the film lie at the feet of David O. Selznick, who forgoes strong characterization and storytelling for spectacle and never clearly defines the

8. Duel in the Sun

79

motivations of the central characters. There is no doubt that the enforced cuts hindered the story and lessened the impact of the conflicted nature of the character relationship. But ultimately is was Selznick’s failure to edit his own screenplay that effectively hobbled the film. Duel in the Sun cost Selznick his reputation as a producer of quality films and cast him as a typical Hollywood mogul lacking in good taste with the box-office dollar as his only motivation. And that motivation served Selznick well with only The Best Years of Our Lives faring better at the 1947 box-office. Selznick was taken aback by the negative reviews and set his sights on damage limitation and a return to the “Tiffany”18 standards his reputation had formerly been built upon. During the production of Duel in the Sun, Jones was granted a divorce from Robert Walker on June 21, 1945, but was only given the decree after Court Judge Charles E. Haas rejected her assertion of cruelty by Walker because he was “difficult and very sarcastic, and wanted me to go into radio work”; his actions “interfered with my work and made me very nervous.”19 No support order was required by Jones because Walker had been “very generous and devoted to the children.” They were granted joint custody of their sons, Robert and Michael. The boys lived with their mother for nine months of the year, with summers and weekends spent with their father. Walker decided not to contest the action. Jones declared, “We remain friends, but we have found it impossible to effect a reconciliation.”20 David and Irene Mayer Selznick announced their separation on August 23, 1945, after fifteen years of marriage. Selznick told Louella Parsons. “I can’t think our separation is final.... I still consider Irene the most brilliant and beautiful woman I know.”21 Parsons didn’t mention Jones in her column but she was the woman caught in the middle. Selznick confessed his affair to Irene and talked of giving Jones up, but Jones was giving him a hard time.22 Irene knew their marriage was effectively over. A year later, Jones approached Irene Selznick by phone posing as Dorothy Paley. Jones met Mrs. Selznick in person outside a New York theater, and they discussed her problems as they were driven through Central Park. Jones told Irene that David was still in love with her (Irene). He showed no interest in his stepsons and felt that Jones was ruining his career. In the midst of the emotional outburst, Jones attempted to throw herself from the car but was stopped by Irene, who calmed her down.23 The highly strung Jones was conflicted and confused and felt a lack of genuine love in her life. This sense of personal despair would surface at stressful times in Jones’ life and remain a part of her psyche in the decades ahead.

9 Portrait of Jennie “Tomorrow,” I asked. “But when is tomorrow, Jennie?” “Does it matter?” she asked. “It’s always. This was tomorrow — once.” — Robert Nathan, Portrait of Jennie (1940)

On January 12, 1944, David O. Selznick bought the Portrait of Jennie screen rights for $25,000 at the suggestion of his story editor Margaret McDonnell. He first mentioned the property in a memo dated May 30, 1944, where he stated it was “in preparation for Miss Jones.”1 But two years later Selznick approached Vivien Leigh with the hope that her husband Laurence Olivier would accept the role of artist Eben Adams. When he realized neither Leigh or Olivier were likely to accept his offer, Selznick gave orders not to talk about the matter further out of fear of offending Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten, who had now been cast in the roles.2 When the film eventually went into production in February 1947, Selznick coupled director William Dieterle with cinematographer Joseph August. They had worked to memorable effect together on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) with Charles Laughton and the fantasy All That Money Can Buy a.k.a. The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) with Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch. Dieterle had previously directed Jones in Love Letters (1944) where he successfully conveyed the ethereal aspect of her personality. It was that same quality that was needed in Portrait of Jennie. Selznick was unhappy with the early footage. Once again Jones was at the root of his concerns. According to Selznick, the harsh light of winter did her appearance no favors and the scenes where Jones had to appear as a young girl in New York’s Central Park weren’t believable. Locations hadn’t been scouted to any degree, forcing production to grind to a halt until suitable exteriors could be filmed. Selznick was furious with managing producer David Hempstead. Selznick had taken a gamble and hired a producer who was known 80

9. Portrait of Jennie

81

to have a history of problems with alcohol. Selznick’s harsh words didn’t help ease the stress he felt but they did serve to focus Hempstead’s attention on his role as producer for the New York and Boston Harbor locations.3 Selznick’s troubles continued with what he viewed as an unsatisfactory script by Paul Berneis. He stopped production for five weeks as he attempted to fashion a working screenplay. Leonardo Bercovici wrote a new adaptation of the novel which Paul Osborn structured into a screenplay. Production resumed in April 1947. On May 1, Selznick wrote about his delight with scenes shot in Boston Harbor: “It is fantastic beyond belief.” But within the same memo his mood changed drastically when mentioning the money wasted on the wardrobe for the extras. Artistic integrity and achievement had to be tempered with the cold, hard facts of financing the film.4 A screenplay noted as Script No. 21 by Paul Osborn (dated June 16, 1947 and revised June 24) detailed an introductory sequence that was later abandoned. Scene One opens on a cold wintry day as people enter the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. Scene Two is an interior long shot of a group of ten-year-old children standing before El Greco’s painting of “Cardinal Nino De Guevera” as the middle-aged Miss Spinney tells them that El Greco was interested in “the spirit of a person.” When a student asks Miss Spinney if a painter sometimes “paints people that aren’t real,” Miss Spinney shows the class “The Wise and Foolish Virgins” by William Blake as an example of spiritual art. She hurriedly changes the subject when a boy inquires, “What’s virgins?” and shows her students “Portrait of Jennie” by Eben Adams. The children, seeing her deep in thought, ask if she ever met Jennie, and she replies she only met Adams. Miss Spinney reflects on the past as the scene dissolves to Adams walking dejectedly through Central Park on a winter day. While Selznick dropped the introduction, he did keep the final scenes which originally served as a footnote to the abandoned opening scenes. In a letter to author Robert Nathan ( July 7, 1947), Selznick noted how he had changed one of the premises of his original story by making Jennie only visible to Adams in a picnic scene that followed his visit to see Jennie at the convent school. The scene would be cut from the final print due to Jones’ hair merging with the tone of a tree trunk. On September 25, 1947, cinematographer Joseph H. August died of a heart attack in Culver City. Lee Garmes and Paul Engler took control and principal photography was completed in December. Selznick was unsatisfied with certain aspects of the completed footage and ordered retakes and additional scenes throughout 1948. On October 9, the final shot was in the can. Selznick repeated the introductory format adopted on Duel in the Sun

82

Jennifer Jones

with a narrated opening sequence. The aerial viewpoint through the clouds to introduce a supernatural theme is faintly reminiscent of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death (1946), a film that Selznick admired. We are introduced to struggling artist Eben Adams ( Joseph Cotten) who is searching for inspiration in his work (he knows his paintings and sketches of flowers and landscapes are mundane). When art gallery owner Miss Spinney (Ethel Barrymore) confirms his fears by telling him there is no love in his work, he slumps into a deeper depression. Reflecting on his failures on a freezing day in Central Park, Adams exchanges pleasantries with Jennie Appleton ( Jones). The innocent young girl intrigues Adams and revives his ailing creative spirit. After reviewing his portfolio and bluntly telling him she doesn‘t care for it, she suggests he paint people rather than landscapes. Adams feels compelled to sketch a portrait of Jennie which he sells to Miss Spinney for $25.

In Portrait of Jennie (1948), struggling artist Eben Adams (Joseph Cotten) first encounters the enchanting and mysterious Jennie Appleton (Jones) on a freezing winter’s day in New York City’s Central Park.

9. Portrait of Jennie

83

Jennie appears older on subsequent meetings in Central Park, her beauty and grace ever more evident to Adams who becomes obsessed with her. His world is empty and silent without Jennie as he anxiously awaits each return visit. When a dejected Adams returns to his apartment-studio, he notices a light in his room and hurries up the stairs to see Jennie waiting for him. She has grown into a beautiful young woman since their previous meeting. Adams becomes entranced in her presence as he embarks on painting her portrait. Jennie is disturbed by Adams’ painting of a stormy Land’s End Light at Cape Cod but has no idea why. The troubled frown on her face hints at future events that are already a part of her past. As she poses for her portrait Jennie says, “Eben, promise you won’t forget me.” Melancholy and fear of the loss of loved ones is at the root of Jennie’s experience. Her parents’ death during their high wire act at Hammerstein’s Hippodrome has made her vulnerable. The fleeting nature of love, beauty and existence is captured in her personality. During her time spent studying at St. Mary’s Convent, Jennie is at peace and tells Adams she feels nearer to the truth of things. After her final sitting for the portrait, Jennie promises Adams they will meet again before the end of summer. But she fails to return. An increasingly desperate and despondent Adams comes to a full realization of Jennie’s past when he talks with Sister Mary of Mercy (Lillian Gish) at the convent Jennie attended. He attempts to change her fate by visiting Land’s End Light on the fateful night of October 5 in order to cheat the past and forge a new future. As he climbs the lighthouse, his desire to change fate is intrinsically linked to the aerial perspective of the spiral staircase which seems to indicate infinity. Time may be fluid but destiny remains fixed. Only Adams’ portrait has been able to capture Jennie at a fixed point in time, not only for himself but for others to gaze at her beauty in glorious Technicolor at the film’s conclusion. The audience becomes an active participant as they gaze at the portrait of Jennie. The story catches the essence of the fleeting nature of time to great effect. Happiness and melancholy co-exists as past, present and future bleed into each other. The frozen grounds of Central Park and cold, impersonal skyscrapers of Manhattan serve as a metaphor for alienation and lost souls searching to connect. Once again Cotten plays a character with intriguing undercurrents of an older man attracted to a young girl. His effortless style of acting betrays his talent for understatement. A silk scarf serves as the motif for the elusive Jennie Appleton throughout the film. She leaves it behind on their first meeting. She disappears when she

84

Jennifer Jones

holds it to her face in his studio and leaves it behind on the rocks of Land’s End Light at the conclusion. The scarf gives proof to the reality of Jennie and her journey through time. Ben Hecht wrote the narrated foreword to the film at the request of Selznick, who wanted Portrait of Jennie to be introduced as a story that could actually happen given the right set of circumstances. Selznick envisioned an entertaining dramatic fantasy capable of suspending disbelief. Following a suggestion by story editor Margaret McDonnell that the music of Debussy be used in the film, Selznick was granted permission from the Debussy estate in Paris after three months of negotiations. Composer Dimitri Tiomkin was hired to adapt “The Maid with the Flaxen Hair,” “Arabesques 1 and 2,” “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” and “Clouds.” He supervised and conducted a 74-piece symphony orchestra plus a chorus of 28 voices. Jester Hairston assisted Tiomkin on the choral arrangements. Tiomkin’s arrangement of Debussy’s music, while very effective, is not for classical music purists. Bernard Herrmann composed three cues for Portrait of Jennie before leaving the production. “Winter” was completed but “Newspaper” ended on Bar 20 and “Waltz” on Bar 48. The painted portrait that was so central to the theme of the film was the work of Robert Brackman. Born in Odessa, Russia, in 1898, Brackman emigrated to America with his family when he was ten years of age. Much like the character of struggling artist Eben Adams, Brackman experienced difficult and depressing times early in his career when he was evicted from his studio for non-payment of rent. But the hard times were eventually replaced with great success and his high profile portraits of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Charles and Ann Lindbergh et al. attracted the attention of Selznick. After Brackman refused to travel to Hollywood, Selznick, Jones Artist Robert Brackman’s personal and Cotten came east to the small favorite pastel study of Jones as Jennie Connecticut fishing village of Noank Appleton. on the Mystic River where they

9. Portrait of Jennie

85

stayed at the Griswold Hotel in Eastern Point, Groton, making daily visits to Brackman’s studio.5 His large studio included a fireplace and a balcony where his models could have some privacy. A small passageway connected the studio to his house, which overlooked the school where he taught approximately fifty students during the summer. The portrait of Jennie Appleton required fifteen sittings with Jones. He also sketched a pastel portrait of Jones for the film.6 Brackman insisted on meeting with a person before the first sitting so he could get to know their personality. His stubborn and direct manner was softened with a charm that placed the sitter at ease. His primary aim wasn’t to paint an exact likeness but to capture the essence of the person. A portrait of an actress playing a fictional character was a new challenge for Brackman, who attempted to capture the essence of Jennie on canvas rather than Jones. Brackman stated that his personal expression of a subject always went into his first construction. The pastel which he completed first was his personal expression. In the shot of Adams sketching the pastel portrait of Jennie, it is Brackman’s hand we see.7 Cotten studied Brackman as he painted Jones in his studio. Brackman commented, “They tell me I will be surprised by his brush work. Cotten did nothing. He never took a brush in his hand. He just watched. They say he is an acute observer....”8 But despite his reservations about Cotten’s working method, Brackman was pleased with the completed film. Scenes at St. Mary’s Convent were filmed at the Cloisters located in Fort Tryon Park in North Manhattan. The beautiful cloistered gardens and architecture based on a Medieval European theme lent themselves to the enclosed atmosphere of the convent. Scenes were also filmed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The cinematography and special effects are highlights of the film — from the canvas overlays to the atmospheric location work in New York City and Boston, and the final storm sequence. Costume designer Lucinda Ballard called her time spent working on Portrait of Jennie as “a ghastly experience.” She was on call twenty-four hours a day and would be awoken in the early hours of the morning by Selznick or his staff demanding to see her work. “I was expected to be around all the time because Jennifer Jones liked me!” recalled Ballard.9 She eventually quit the film when Selznick’s demands became so ludicrous that she felt her professionalism was being questioned and compromised. One of Selznick’s demands was to duplicate exactly a 1913 black velvet costume for the Central Park skating sequence. The costume, which was originally listed in a 1913 fashion catalogue for $7, cost Selznick $1,000 to duplicate in 1947. Choreographer Jerome Robbins also worked briefly on the film, coaching Jones for a scene where she crosses a stream by dancing on stepping stones. The footage, shot in Oldwick, New Jersey, was cut from the final print.10

86

Jennifer Jones

Selznick changed the final scenes to include a tinted hurricane and tidal wave sequence intended to be displayed on an expanded screen in Magnascope. When the movie premiered at the Carthay Circle in Los Angeles on December 25, 1948, the results impressed the audience. The Magnascope process dated back to the feature film Old Ironsides (1926). It involved switching to a different projector with a short focal length lens to produce a huge 30 ¥ 40 feet image (twice the average screen size). Black masking around the image created the illusion of a gradual enlargement. Speakers situated around the theater completed the sensory experience for the audience. The enhanced Magnascope screening and sound effects were repeated on March 29, 1949, at the Rivoli Theatre in New York. Unfortunately the effect couldn’t be duplicated to the same dramatic effect on the regular theater circuit. The film critics of the time ranged from those who refused to be taken in with the fantasy, to those few who embraced its charm and originality. Mae Tinee of the Chicago Daily Tribune (May 31, 1949) remarked: There is nothing quite like the dull thud with which fantasy falls flat when it is handed gracelessly. What was intended as romantic becomes ridiculous, and nothing can save it.

Adams (Joseph Cotten) takes great delight when Jennie (Jones) visits him again as a beautiful young woman.

9. Portrait of Jennie

87

The film critic for the St Petersburg Times ( July 26, 1949) was positive: Its effect is dynamic as it melds the unseen with the seen to enfold the audience in clouds and shadows that occasionally lift to let in a glorious burst of sunshine and reality. In tempo the picture is like a symphony, a moving panorama of moods to catch one’s fancy. Jennifer Jones ... does a clever bit of work...

Variety (1948) stated: Portrait of Jennie is an unusual screen romance. The story of an ethereal romance between two generations is told with style, taste and dignity. William Dieterle has given the story sensitive direction and his guidance contributes considerably toward the top performances from the meticulously cast players.... Jennifer Jones’ performance is standout. Her miming ability gives a quality to the four ages she portrays — from a small girl through the flowering woman. Ingenuity in makeup also figures importantly in sharpening the portrayal. Joseph Cotten endows the artist with a top performance, matching the compelling portrayal by Jones.

New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther (March 30, 1949) was unimpressed: The fantasy of the relation between the artist and the ghost is far-fetched, and it isn’t improved by the acting of Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones in the principal roles. Mr. Cotten is morbidly solemn as the fellow who loves and paints a ghost, and Miss Jones is beaming and breathless most of the time as this oddly literal wraith.... But the long-bow that’s drawn in the soundtrack and the splurge of the final spectacle are the elements in the picture that render it maudlin and banal.... Is deficient and disappointing in the extreme.

The film critic for Time (April 4, 1949) was also disappointed: [Selznick and Dieterle] have spent a lot of time, money and talent on Portrait— most of it in the wrong places. They have tugged and hauled at its slender story with heavy-handed insistence, and puffed up its whimsical metaphysics with outsized pretensions. The photography, equally pretentious, compounds the error. Trickily lighted, and strained through even trickier scrims and niters, Jennie is, for the most part, merely confusing. Most starling trick: the hurricane sequence, drenched in an overlay of deep sea-green, suddenly jumps to an enlarged screen and a ferociously noisy sound track, and then subsides into a reddish sepia fadeout.... The principals, caught in the midst of such studio stunting, appear pallid and unreal. Miss Jones — what can be seen of her through the gauze and murky lighting — gives a softly modulated and monotonous performance.

In McCall’s (April 1949), Frankie McKee Robins commented: To translate this ephemeral study into pictures was quite an undertaking.... There’ll be some who will be confused by time’s shuttling back and forth between the worlds of reality and infinity. But the film will have a message of consolation for many.

88

Jennifer Jones

The review for the Portland Press Herald, (May 5, 1949) stated: [The film] has the kind of a switch-around construction that would only be given away by a straight away review. New York scenes filmed on the spot offer unusual photographic realism.... By lending the whimsical fantasy of author Robert Nathan with the soft undertones of Debussy’s music and the gilded touch of Hollywood, [it] suddenly is a “different” type of picture.

Portrait of Jennie was a commercial failure. With an estimated budget of $4,041,000, rentals were a dismal $1,510,000 worldwide. It won an Oscar for Best Effects, Special Effects; the late Joseph H. August was nominated but failed to win for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. In an attempt to attract a new audience and recover some of its losses, Portrait of Jennie was re-released as Tidal Wave in 1950 but once again made little impact.11 Jones gives a performance with echoes of both The Song of Bernadette and Love Letters. Central to the story is the theme of undying eternal love — love that inspires a rejected artist to paint with a new energy and vision ... love that renews a tired spirit ... love that transcends time and space. Jones was particularly suited to convent scenes, her face displaying both spiritual innocence and a sense of infinite knowledge. Thirty at the time of filming, she is convincing as both a 16-year-old and a mature 20-year-old. The concept of a painted portrait that somehow captures the essence of the subject wasn’t new to film or literature. In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the painting is corrupted over time by the lifestyle of the subject while the subject retains his youth. In Portrait of Jennie, the painting is the essence of Jennie Appleton captured on canvas, but unlike the portrait of Dorian Gray it represents a purity of spirit. Although both films were blackand-white, they surprise the audience when the painting is revealed in glorious Technicolor at the conclusion. The fact that The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) was filmed and released a few years earlier than Portrait of Jennie lessens the impact of the final scene to those familiar with the earlier film. Joseph Cotten won the International Prize for Best Actor of 1949 for Portrait of Jennie at the Venice International Film Festival. Cotten reprised his role as Eben Adams in two radio adaptations: On October 31, 1949, he co-starred with Anne Baxter as Jennie Appleton in a 60-minute dramatization for Lux Radio Theater. On March 10 of the following year, William Dieterle directed the Screen Director’s Playhouse 30-minute production featuring Cotten and Barbara Eiler as Jennie. The adaptation by Milton Geiger differed from the film in its final scenes which featured the death of Eben Adams to coincide with the date of the 1950 broadcast and his reuniting with Jennie in Central Park. With the failure of Portrait of Jennie, Selznick was in deep financial trouble and Jones’ career was continuing a downward slide. He had foreseen trou-

9. Portrait of Jennie

89

Mr. Matthews (Cecil Kellaway) views Adams’ (Joseph Cotten) portrait of Jennie with admiration.

ble ahead on the production from the first few months of filming and was mentally preparing for the end of his studio. The irony was that Selznick produced one of his most inspired films in Portrait of Jennie and Jones gave one of her finest performances. To say that the failure of Portrait of Jennie led to Selznick’s brief exile in Europe would be a simplification. Many factors contributed to his general malaise, including the simple fact he was tired and needed a rest. Selznick’s divorce from Irene was finalized on January 10, 1948, leaving the path clear for marriage to Jones. He also sought to explore new business ventures in the increasingly important European film market. On April 7, 1949, the Hollywood Reporter headline announced, “Selznick Studio Goes on Block.” A two-day auction sale consisting of Selznick’s studio equipment (valued at $500,000) took place on April 25. Selznick also sold the rights of Selznick Pictures to Eagle-Lion and leased his stars to Warner Bros. before leaving for Europe later that year.12 Jones’ former husband Robert Walker was filming One Touch of Venus (1948) with Ava Gardner and actively trying to avoid alcohol by living in his dressing room on the Universal studio lot under the supervision of a man who made certain he kept himself in good shape with regular exercising. But

90

Jennifer Jones

halfway through filming, Walker’s willpower vanished and he started to drink heavily. One evening following dinner and a night cap at Gardner’s apartment, Walker was drunk enough not to drive home. Gardner and her friend Reenie place him in bed to sleep off the alcohol. But Reenie was kept awake that evening by Walker’s weeping and moaning in the next room. Reenie told Gardner how he kept moaning, “Jenny, where are you, Jenny? Why don’t you come back to me, Jenny?”13 Walker’s emotional distress over his divorce from Jennifer Jones would continue to affect him, with tragic consequences.

10 We Were Strangers Resistance to Tyrants is obedience to God. — Thomas Jefferson

This movie was based on an episode from the novel Rough Sketch by journalist Robert Sylvester. John Huston bought the screen rights to the story for his recently formed production company Horizon Films. Huston and Peter Viertel adapted Sylvester’s story; when Ben Hecht was brought in to polish the script Huston never informed Viertel. With weeks remaining until the start of filming, the script was still incomplete. David Selznick felt the need to exercise some control of a production he wasn’t personally involved in by chastising the producer Sam Spiegel for not providing enough information regarding Jennifer Jones’ role and demanded he treat her with the respect she deserved.1 Filming began on August 30, 1948, with an estimated budget of $900,000. In the opening scene, a bill is passed into law that prohibits all public gatherings of more than four citizens of Cuba and condemns such gatherings as an act of treason against the government. When China Valdés ( Jones) sees her brother Manolo (Tito Renaldo) gunned down on the steps of the university where he is studying for distributing leaflets informing citizens of the new law, she decides to join the rebel cause. Her primary aim is to avenge the death of her brother and kill Armando Ariete (Pedro Armendáriz), the man who murdered him. Walking home with Valdés, theatrical talent scout Tony Fenner ( John Garfield) listens to her stories of stealing flowers from the cemetery to sell to tourists in the streets at night in order to feed her family of five. Talk of the rich and poor cemeteries inspires him to plan to kill President Machado, his cabinet, the chief of police and army personnel. Fenner gathers a group of six like-minded individuals including Valdés, who works at the Metropolitan Bank. His ambitious plan involves digging a tunnel from the Valdés home to a family tomb where the president and his 91

92

Jennifer Jones

In We Were Strangers (1949), China Valdés (Jones) cries out in anguish after witnessing the murder of her brother on the steps of the University.

cabinet will gather for a funeral. While certain group members express doubts and display character flaws, Fenner remains a strong, committed leader. A drunk Ariete fails to seduce Valdés and vents his anger by threatening her life if she doesn’t betray Fenner. This only serves to increase her resolve to murder him. The last quarter of the film sees the story lose focus as the assassination plan fails. The group members go their separate ways but Fenner stays to continue the fight, his girl at his side. He would rather die than admit failure. The final scenes of Valdés and Fenner confronting the police with machine guns is more reminiscent of a Bonnie and Clyde gangster film scenario than political revolutionaries, and the impassioned speech by Valdés is unnecessary. Church bells herald Fenner’s final seconds as the Cuban people claim back Havana and celebrate in the streets. When Peter Viertel suggested the film end with the execution of the rebels by firing squad, it was rejected in favor of an ending that makes a savior figure out of Fenner. “You’ll be in their eyes when they give thanks to God,” exclaims a distraught Valdés as she leans over Fenner’s dead body.

10. We Were Strangers

93

Opening scenes feature Jones in a stark, unglamorous light that benefits her role as a member of a group of political revolutionaries. But as the film progresses, Jones’ image is softened and her believability in the role is compromised. Her Cuban accent also wavers and betrays her natural American accent more frequently. John Garfield is subdued throughout, giving a lackluster performance that is at odds with his role as a driven, charismatic leader. Huston’s film is badly flawed and the romance between Valdés and Fenner is never convincing. It adds nothing to the story and seems to be thrown in as a means to sell the film China Valdés ( Jones) seeks to overto audiences who might otherwise throw the Cuban government and find the political subject matter bor- avenge her brother’s death. ing. Jones placed herself completely in the hands of Huston, who guided her every move throughout the filming, but that guidance wavered in good judgment as the film progressed. Marilyn Monroe was a regular visitor to the Columbia Studios set in Hollywood when Huston was filming.2 Huston considered screen-testing her next to Garfield but was discouraged from doing so. Columnist Alice Pardoe West was present on the Columbia set to observe Huston directing a scene with Jones and Garfield. Huston explained how he liked to rehearse a scene to perfection before shooting, to save on film. Huston’s preparation for a scene involved talking with each actor and giving them “plenty of leeway” in their characterization to ensure a good performance. Huston commented, “Names mean nothing to me in directing. It’s dramatic effect I’m striving for. If it’s Jennifer’s scene she gets it — if it’s Garfield’s — he gets it.”3 Jones declared, “It is such a pleasure to play with John Garfield. He is a powerful actor and one feels his security in a scene.”4 Huston liked to appear in non-speaking cameo roles in his films. In We Were Strangers he cast himself as Señor Muñoz, a teller at the Metropolitan Bank. Huston also loved to lighten the atmosphere on the set with practical jokes and spent one lunch break burying a fake arm deep in the dirt tunnel where Jones was going to dig in her scene where they come across a cemetery.5 “ Her scream was real,” recalled Huston’s wife Evelyn Keyes.

94

Jennifer Jones

Pedro Armendáriz had heard stories of Jones’ temperament prior to filming but to his surprise found a relaxed set. “I expected Jennifer Jones to have fits of temper when I did We Were Strangers. But she was as pleasant as you could wish,” he declared.6 At the wrap party, Jones presented Huston with a chimpanzee (some say as payback for the prank Huston played on Jones). But Huston’s affection for the chimpanzee proved to be mutual with Cheena sharing his bed that evening while his wife slept in Paulette Goddard’s apartment. The resulting chaos (including the destruction of three valuable Mexican vases and the shredding of lace curtains) in the newly decorated apartment marked the beginning of the end of their marriage.7 Huston’s film sought to glorify a charismatic rebel. The truth was far more complex. The dictatorship of President Gerardo Machado spurred organized resistance to the repression and worsening economic depression under his regime. Protesting university students were killed or tortured and all political uprisings crushed. An attempt by a U.S. envoy to resolve the escalating crisis resulted in a general strike and successful army rebellion that saw Machado flee Cuban in 1933. The highlight of the film is the outstanding location cinematography in Havana that gives the story an authentic backdrop. This is offset by some weak back projection work in scenes involving Jones and Garfield filmed at Columbia Studios in Hollywood. Selling angles for the film recommended by Box Office magazine (May 7, 1949) included: “Jennifer Jones and John Garfield are the two strongest selling names, but also play up John Huston.... Also mention comeback roles for Ramon Novarro and Gilbert Roland, silent stars, to attract the oldsters. Use character stills of the two in a frame and ask patrons to identify them.” The tips for promoting the film concludes with bizarre advice that has no connection the story: “The title lends itself to dance school tie-ups with copy saying, “We Were Strangers until we learned to dance.” The Hollywood Reporter (April 22, 1949) called Huston’s film “the heaviest dish of Red theory ever served to an audience outside the Soviet...” and accused it of indulging in “Marxian dialectic.” The Daily Worker (April 28, 1949) labeled We Were Strangers “capitalistic propaganda.” Huston responded with typical sarcasm. “I’m proud and delighted to have both of these lunatic ends converging on me.” The fallout from the Hollywood Reporter review extended beyond the film’s release and resulted in Columbia boss Harry Cohn withdrawing all advertising from the trade publication.8 Dick Lowe of The Miami News (May 11, 1949) was mainly positive: Considering the facts that We Were Strangers tells a story as melodramatic and unbelievable as any screen yarn ever spun, it is a remarkably real and moving

10. We Were Strangers

95

document of man and his fight for freedom.... Jennifer Jones is China, and a lovely and dramatic China too. Pretty when necessary, mud-smeared and grimy when required. It’s an intense, pounding film, extremely well acted by both principals and supporting actors and is recommended as being one of the top adventure romances of the screen year.

The Milwaukee Journal (May 20, 1949), reported: Convincing on the whole, it somehow fails to arouse the complete sympathy of the viewer.... The bitter climax is weakened by the closing scenes which are melodramatic and sodden with tear-jerking sentimentality. The men take acting honors, particularly Pedro Armendáriz as a Cuban policeman and Gilbert Roland as a philosophizing conspirator, besides Garfield, of course. We leave Jennifer’s work to the individual judgment of the viewers.

The Harvard Crimson (April 30, 1949) stated: The audience is constantly reminded that the government is extremely evil and dynamiting its leaders is indeed an act of glorious patriotism. Except for her way of speaking, Jennifer Jones does a fine job as the young Cuban girl aiding the revolutionaries. John Garfield hasn’t changed from any of his other pictures. Pedro Armendáriz is a sufficiently frightening villain as the Chief of Police. All except Garfield try to show that they are Cubans by talking without slurs or contractions, but this is more annoying than convincing.

Variety ( January 1, 1949) commented: Strangers’ distillation of political and social overtones are worked mainly as a foil to the revolutionary stalwarts vs. state Gestapo dueling that makes up the body of the film.... [It] could have packed considerably more documentary wallop if the revolt which did in fact occur had been woven into the main story.

Time (May 2, 1949) remarked: As movie melodramas go, it is above average, but it is not Grade A Huston. Brightest spot in this murky yarn is the clear, vigorous, imaginative camera work. There are beautiful shots of Havana’s buildings rising like white frozen fountains at the end of receding alleys, and some brilliant bits on the revolution in full swing. There are also good performances by Jennifer Jones, David Bond, Gilbert Roland (as a calypso-crooning conspirator), and onetime silent-star Ramon Novarro.... Never for a moment a dull movie, Strangers is often too facile or too far away from strict artistic honesty.

The New York Times (April 28, 1949) was scathing in its critique of Jones: True enough much is lacking in the performance of Jennifer Jones in the role of the girl. There is neither understanding nor passion in the stiff, frigid creative she achieves. And instead of making apparent some plausible reasons for a tragic romance amid all this strain and mortification, she makes the idea repulsive and absurd.

96

Jennifer Jones

China Valdés (Jones) and Tony Fenner (John Garfield) make plans to kill President Machado.

Writing for Shots in the Dark (1951) Gavin Lambert remarked: We Were Strangers ... marks an important point in Huston’s work.... He has made a film about heroes, but it is not heroic....

In contrast, writing a few years later in Public Arts (1956), Gilbert Seddes dismissed Huston’s film as “a half-arty, half-mature little job ... which might have ruined a less versatile director.” Huston would later express his dissatisfaction with the final film. “[T]he idea was good ... but there was an air of falsehood about it. John Garfield and Jennifer Jones were not Cubans and nothing I or God Almighty could have done could have made them so.”9 An interesting footnote: Lee Harvey Oswald’s wife Marina told Secret Service agents that her husband had watched We Were Strangers twice over the weekend of October 18, 1963.5 No link to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy has been proven but the subject matter excited Oswald given his activity as a political activist in Cuba and his apparent plan to shoot President Kennedy the following month.10

11 Madame Bovary [H]er life was as cold as an attic with a skylight facing north, and boredom, like a silent spider, was weaving its web in every shadowy recess of her heart. — Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary (1857)

Following the serialization of Madame Bovary in the Revue de Paris (October 1 to December 15, 1856), Gustave Flaubert, publisher Leon Laurent-Pichat and the printer of Revue de Paris, Auguste-Alexis Pillet, were brought to trial in 1857, accused of “offenses against public morals and religion.” Prosecutor Ernest Pinard, presenting his case, said, “Oh! I know very well that the portrait of Madame Bovary after the adultery is most brilliant; but the picture is above all lascivious, the post is voluptuous, the beauty a beauty of provocation.” In conclusion he declared, “Art without rules is not art. It is like a woman who discards all clothing.” Flaubert, the publisher and the printer were acquitted and the case dismissed. In summation the court stated, “[L]iterature, like art, in order to accomplish the good which it is expected to produce, ought only to be chaste and pure in its form and expression.”1 The opening scenes of Vincente Minnelli’s film version re-enact the 1857 trial with the public attorney expressing his disgust with Flaubert’s story which he considers an insult to women and a national disgrace for France. Flaubert ( James Mason) presents his defense and frames the story of Madame Bovary with his narration. Emma Bovary ( Jones) is raised on a steady diet of romantic novels that feeds her desire for a life away from the family farm. But marriage to Dr. Charles Bovary (Van Heflin) only disappoints Emma, who soon feels disillusioned and trapped by her mundane lifestyle in the small French village of Yonville. Her husband lacks confidence, ambition and social graces. The boring, predictable lives of the villagers and her husband’s daily 97

98

Jennifer Jones

duties as a doctor elicits the desire in Emma for freedom and romantic adventure. At a ball, her beauty and charm attracts the attention of Rodolphe Boulanger (Louis Jourdan). The drunken and uncouth behavior of her husband at the ball prompts Emma to embark on an affair with Boulanger. As the affair intensifies, her love for her husband diminishes and she makes plans to leave for Italy in the dead of night with Boulanger. But instead of escaping her frustration and boredom, her life begins to unravel as mounting debts and failed love affairs cause Bovary to realize her lifestyle has become a tawdry mixture of sex and deception. The cause of her depression is self-inflicted as she comes to terms with the hollow nature of her relationships and her impending financial ruin. Her solution is yet another act of selfishness and the culmination of her desire for escape as she swallows a lethal dose of arsenic. Director Minnelli offers no sympathy for Emma Bovary’s plight outside of her bad choices and poor judgment. Any moral lesson is saved for Flaubert’s defense. The first choice for the role of Emma Bovary was Lana Turner. Turner claimed to have rejected the offer because she found Robert Ardrey’s screenplay dull and flat,2 but the choice was most likely taken out of her hands by Minnelli, who was aware of the trouble her casting might cause with the Motion Picture Association of America and its Production Code Office. With its controversial content, Madame Bovary had to be diluted in order to get a certificate. Turner’s sexually charged screen persona would have the censors in overdrive. But Minnelli was also aware that too demure an actress would be unsuitable for the role of a woman filled with repressed passion. He required an actress who was sexual but classical and mature enough to play a bored wife. MGM’s major contract players also included the attractive Greer Garson, whose screen image was considered too conservative for Emma Bovary. Elizabeth Taylor had the desired qualities of beauty, class and sexuality but was still a teenager. Minnelli and producer Pandro S. Berman finally opted for Jones, who was loaned out to MGM by Selznick on condition they also find roles for Selznick contract players James Mason, Louis Jourdan and Christopher Kent. Filming began on December 16, 1948, at the Culver City studios. The back lot area that had recently been used for filming That Forsyte Woman with Errol Flynn and Greer Garson was transformed from an English village to a French hamlet. Selznick dictated a series of critical memos directed at Jones’ makeup artist Dorothy Poneda. She could do nothing right in the eyes of Selznick, who thought the makeup made Jones look “Javanese.” On set, Jones was her usual professional self with a touch of temperament

11. Madame Bovary

99

that often surfaced in times of stress. Always lacking in confidence, Jones reacted in tears and ran from the set when the young child who played her daughter ignored her during a rehearsal. It was an over-reaction to the actions of a little girl confusing the rejection of her mother in the script with the reality of Jennifer Jones, the actress. But something in the girl’s rejection stirred feelings of inadequacy in Jones as she exclaimed, “Nobody likes me.”3 The ballroom sequence proved to be one of the highlights of the film as Emma Bovary waltzes across the floor with effortless grace with her dancing partner Jones as Emma Bovary in Madame Bovary Rodolphe Boulanger. The (1949). camera weaves and glides between the dancers with the effect of making the audience participators in the dance. The beauty of the dancing also emphasizes the embarrassment Bovary feels at the clumsy, flat-footed intrusion of her husband Charles on the dance floor. The audience feels equally embarrassed for Charles, a man clearly out of his depth in high society. The ballroom scene was one of the final scenes to be shot due to the complexity of the set-up. A 360-degree camera pan echoed Emma Bovary’s feelings of joy and exhilaration, her head spinning with delight, her emotions released from the drudgery of her everyday existence. It was usual practice for a composer to score a film after the footage was filmed, but Minnelli involved composer Miklós Rózsa before the acclaimed ballroom scene was shot. Minnelli discussed the camera movements and the timing of the scene with Rózsa, who then composed the score. The filmed scene matched his music, resulting in a unique sequence of film artistry where music and image co-exist. The waltz was originally arranged for two pianos before Rósza orches-

100

Jennifer Jones

trated his score for the final version. In his autobiography Double Life (1982), Rózsa described how Judy Garland, Minnelli’s wife at the time, was invited to listen to the two-piano arrangement and “gasped in thrilled amazement” when the tune suddenly and unexpectedly changed key.4 In his book Novels into Film (1957), George Bluestone comments on the

Emma Bovary (Jones) reflects on her day of passion.

11. Madame Bovary

101

conclusion to the ballroom sequence: “Instead of Emma’s muted wonder at the discovery, for her, of an elegant romantic world, we have a scene which ends with the smashing of windows. Instead of the ironic but controlled contrast between a kind of Rabelaisian charivari and Emma’s distaste, we have a vulgar senseless brawl.”5 In Vincente Minnelli, the Art of Entertainment (2009), Robin Wood criticizes Bluestone’s analysis and provides an alternative viewpoint that points to window imagery as a key psychological theme running throughout the film. Thus the breaking of the ballroom windows serves as much more than the need for fresh air from a fainting Emma Bovary, but symbolizes as the shattering of romantic illusion.6 Flaubert stated that his work was pure imagination but the story closely resembles the real-life scandal of Eugene and Delphone Delamore. Similarities include a convent education, a young daughter, numerous affairs to escape a boring marriage, a descent into debt and financial ruin, and suicide by poison in 1848. The screenplay by Robert Ardrey is both intelligent and insightful, presenting motivation and the inner life of Emma Bovary. What appears on the surface to be mere glossy melodrama has a subtle psychology. In an underrated performance, Jones affords Bovary elegance and charm but also portrays her inner turmoil, decline and often self-centered personality to great effect. There is no overt sex, merely suggestion. But Minnelli and Jones still manage to convey the sense of moral decay, shame and self-destruction resulting from Bovary’s wanton lifestyle. In Bovary’s world, people use each other for selfish pleasure. But without love their connection has no emotional grounding outside of sexual desire. And when that desire is spent, Bovary finds her ex-lovers turning against her in her greatest time of need. Her life has been wasted on the dream of romance with sexual attraction as its prime motivation. Now she is left alone and sees no future in a life without romance. Death is preferable to a lifetime spent with a daughter who feels no affection for her own mother and a husband whose weak, ineffectual manner cannot satisfy her in or out of the bedroom. It is one of Jones’ finest performances. She plays Bovary with a neurotic, nervous edge that indicates a frustrated and unstable personality. The trial of Gustave Flaubert that frames the film and serves as both prologue and epilogue suffices as the voice of morality as Flaubert explains to the public attorney (and to the film audience) Madame Bovary’s adulterous lifestyle. Minnelli’s film complements his work the previous year on The Pirate (1948), a light-hearted musical starring Judy Garland as Manuela, a woman engaged to the boring town mayor (Walter Slezak), who fantasizes of escaping to a life of adventure and romance on the high seas with the handsome pirate

102

Jennifer Jones

Mack the Black (Gene Kelly). The themes of entrapment, conformity, boredom and the desire for escape fueled by a fantasy image of romance are common to both The Pirate and Madame Bovary. Reviews for Madame Bovary were mixed, Although many critics praised Jones’ performance, there were the usual detractors, primarily Bosley Crowther of The New York Times (August 26, 1949): Perhaps a better performance of Emma Bovary could be wished than the generally beaming and breathless (or else frowning) one which Jennifer Jones gives. Miss Jones, though perfectly constructed for the wearing of clothes and aureoles, is a little bit light for supporting the anguish of this classic dame.

Jane Lockhart of The Rotarian (November 1949) stated: An honest filming of the novel, notable for the manner in which it delves into the background of the heroine and the social mores of the time to explain motivation for her actions.... Able direction makes for effective visual rendering of the story, and atmosphere is vividly set forth through details of setting, costumes, camera angles. Sober social comment.

Time (August 15, 1949) gave Jones high praise: One memorable scene — a whirling, overheated ball at a local chateau — is a wonderfully skillful projection of Emma’s half-swooning sense of her own seductiveness.... Miss Jones, in her best picture to date, manipulates Emma’s moods and caprices with sensitive dexterity. Hardly ever out of sight of the camera, she gives a performance that is hardly ever out of focus, a feat that even the finicky Flaubert could admire.

Henry Ward for The Pittsburgh Press (September 1, 1949) remarked:

Emma Bovary ( Jones) finds little comfort in the arms of her husband (Van Heflin).

From an acting standpoint Jennifer Jones is a living Emma Bovary and other members of the excellent cast are on a par. As her stodgy

11. Madame Bovary doctor-husband Van Heflin is most effective.... The film is replete with exceptionally dramatic scenes which call upon the acting ability of Miss Jones. One of the most emotional of these is the unforgettable scene that brings the life of Madame Bovary to a close.

Variety (1949) stated: As a character study, Madame Bovary is interesting to watch, but hard to feel. It is a curiously unemotional account of some rather basic emotions. However, the surface treatment of Vincente Minnelli’s direction is slick and attractively presented.... [Madame Bovary] is short on sympathy, being a greedy woman so anxious to better her position in life that sin and crime do not shock her moral value. Jones answers to every demand of direction and script.

Life (October 17, 1949) commented: Most remarkable thing about this film is the way it defies Hollywood love-conquers-all tradition and it shows a nasty, self-indulgent woman getting exactly what she deserves.

Box Office ( July 30, 1949) presented a harsh review: The biography of Gustave Flaubert’s lady of great ambitions and small principles is snailpaced, sometimes confusing and often irritating. Performances under heavy-handed direction by Vincente Minnelli, are overstressed, possibly due to an effort

Theatrical poster for Madame Bovary.

103

104

Jennifer Jones

to make them adhere to the stage techniques long associated with pieces of its ilk.

Composer Miklós Rózsa was full of praise for Minnelli’s work on the film: “Minnelli was a sensitive artist and director, and he made a masterpiece of Madame Bovary.”7 Jones also expressed admiration for Minnelli, calling him a fine director, but was self-deprecating about her own performance. “I wasn’t right or ready for Madame Bovary. David knew and I knew it, but the picture was one that just had to be done.”8 Minnelli’s 1952 film The Bad and the Beautiful featured a leading character so similar to David O. Selznick that Selznick threatened to sue MGM on grounds of libel. Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas) is a domineering, womanizing, obsessive, temperamental and manipulative Hollywood film producer with a back story that includes the death of a bankrupt mogul father. And although Shields’ star discovery Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner) is based on Diana Barrymore, there are some minor echoes of Jones within the character’s interactions with Shields. Selznick’s infamous clashes with directors such as George Cukor and King Vidor are fictionalized when veteran director Von Ellstein (Ivan Triesault) quits Shields’ high-budget film The Proud Land after telling Shields, “To direct a film, a man needs humility. Do you have humility?” The rise and fall of Jonathan Shields in his 17-year career is yet another nod to Selznick, who in 1952 had his greatest work behind him.

12 Gone to Earth Night, shadow, loud winds, winter — these were inimical; with these came the death pack, stealthy and untiring, following forever the trail of the defenseless. — Mary Webb, Gone to Earth (1917)

Irene Mayer’s final divorce decree from David O. Selznick was dated January 22, 1949. On Friday, May 13, 1949, Selznick and Jennifer Jones departed for Europe. Two months later, in the early morning hours of July 13, thirty-year-old Jones and forty-seven-year-old Selznick were married by British Captain Ernest J. Stroud on the 33-ton yacht Monona, at anchor off the costal resort of Portofino, Italy. Jones wore a white summer frock, a white flower-patterned handkerchief on her head and sunglasses. Witnesses were Louis Jourdan and his wife and producer Leland Hayward and his wife, the former Nancy Hawks.1 The legality of the marriage was confirmed when vows were exchanged again later that day at Genoa City Hall. Following a honeymoon spent aboard the Manona, the newlyweds left for London where Jones began filming on Gone to Earth. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger initially met Selznick in 1945 on their first visit to Hollywood. Selznick treated them to his favorite scenes from Duel in the Sun. Powell watched the climactic scene where Jones drags herself across rocks, her knees and arms scraped until bleeding. “Poor girl. You certainly made her work for her living,” remarked Powell. “Yeah, the poor kid took quite a beating,” replied Selznick. Powell was unimpressed with the film, concluding it was “a piece of pulp bound in Morocco.”2 Powell and Pressburger were introduced to Jones when she accompanied Selznick on a visit to Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, while they prepared their film The Elusive Pimpernel. The purpose of their visit was to discuss Gone to Earth by Mary Webb. The screen rights to the novel had 105

106

Jennifer Jones

originally been purchased by actress Simone Simon in 1937 but had passed into the hands of London Film Production’s founder Alexander Korda in March 1940. He then approached Powell and Pressburger with an offer to film Gone to Earth. Although interested, Powell had reservations about the validity of adapting Webb’s novel to film as he found her writing limited in range. He felt backed into a corner to make Gone to Earth due to pressure from Korda. But Webb’s themes of religious traditions borne out of history and local landscape did fascinate Powell. Powell’s mother and sisters had been raised in the countryside and he was acutely aware of nature as a living entity interacting with humans, animals and landscape. All co-existed on an emotional and physical level. The character of Hazel Woodus saw portents and symbols in her everyday interaction with the local wildlife and immediate environment. Prophecy and fate intertwined in a mystical world of her imagination. The atmospheric opening scene of Hazel ( Jones) rescuing a fox within a backdrop of a foreboding Welsh border landscape and the approaching sound of the huntsman’s horn sets the general mood of the film. Hazel lives in a world of superstition where spells and charms have a literal life that pre-

Jones successfully captured the superstitious and conflicted Hazel Woodus in Gone to Earth (1950).

12. Gone to Earth

107

dicts and influences future events. Her reading of “Old Samson’s Rime” points to conflict and menace in the form of a “Death Pack cry” and a “wicked squire.” Much Wenlock in 1897 offers little to the free-spirited Hazel outside of her love for nature and wildlife. Then her blossoming beauty brings her the attention of two men, the local squire John Reddin (David Farrar) and the timid Reverend Edward Marston (Cyril Cusack). Hazel first meets Reddin on a rain-soaked road where he offers her shelter and dinner in his country estate home. She soon discovers Reddin’s intentions aren’t entirely innocent when he attempts to force himself on her. But despite his womanizing ways and bullying manner, Hazel finds herself attracted to him. The Rev. Marston pursues Hazel after being entranced by her singing at a church social and asks for her hand in marriage. “Do you love me as much as I love Foxy?” Hazel responds to his proposal. Although his kiss arouses no passion in Hazel, she cannot break her spoken bargain to the mountain and marries the pastor with her pet Foxy by her side. Reddin refuses to give up on Hazel and waits among the tombstones

The Reverend Edward Marston (Cyril Cusack) falls in love with the enchanting Hazel (Jones) but underestimates her belief in spells and charms and her love for her pet Foxy.

108

Jennifer Jones

near her new home as the Marstons spend their wedding night in separate beds. Despite being baptized by her husband, Hazel still clings to her belief in “country magic” and cannot share his faith. She begins her passionate affair with Reddin after consulting her mother’s book of spells and charms and looking for signs of the “faerie music.” The Rev. Marston finally confronts Reddin and becomes angry as he demands that Hazel return home. Marston’s display of passion results in Reddin revealing his cruel nature as he taunts Hazel with Foxy and one of his hunting hounds. When Hazel decides to return to her husband, Marston is given ultimatums by his mother and the local community that “the adulteress must go.” As Marston prepares for a new life with Hazel, she chases after Foxy and wanders into Reddin’s fox hunt where she meets her fate protecting her beloved fox from Reddin as he attempts to warn her of the danger ahead. Hazel is trapped in a constant state of conflict throughout the film, her sexual, earthy nature fighting for dominance over the façade of a respectable pastor’s wife. Her superstitious nature, grounded in country magic, is at odds with the traditional Christian teachings of her community. Like the Shropshire landscape, she is at the mercy of the elements and outside forces she can’t control that bend the tree branches until they snap and bend her emotions to act against her better judgment. Powell and Pressburger create an undercurrent of sexual tension through the creative utilization of landscape, mysticism and color. Powell and Pressburger tested James Donald, Paul Scofield and Cyril Cusack for the role of the Reverend Marston. Powell preferred Scofield, with Cusack his third choice. Selznick was given the final say in the casting. When he expressed suspicions about Scofield’s sexual preferences, Selznick was informed that Scofield was happily married to a beautiful woman. Selznick remained unconvinced and he immediately set Scofield aside. With Donald considered too strong to play opposite Jones, Selznick had little choice but to cast Cusack. The casting of Cusack didn’t exactly please him. Neither did the costumes and makeup which he claimed did Jones no favors. In Selznick’s mind it all served to place her in an unflattering light. Selznick could never envision a man as plain and ordinary as Cusack as a suitable mate for a woman as beautiful as Jones. He was certain the audience wouldn’t believe their relationship was remotely possible. Despite Selznick’s reservations, Jones approached her role with enthusiasm when filming began on July 19, 1949. Powell was immediately impressed by Jones’ professionalism, which included her desire to shape the contour of her body, through the wearing of corsets, to better represent the period and the character of Hazel Woodus. Jones also spent numerous hours with her dialect coach repeating her lines to perfect the Shropshire dialect.

12. Gone to Earth

109

According to Powell, when Jones visited the small market town of Much Wenlock for location work, she reacted “as if it were Paris.” “She wore long, black boots laced halfway up the calf, and a worn green cotton dress and a straw hat. She looked ravishing.”3 Not a person for gossip, Jones concentrated on the job before her and had a genuine affection for the foxes used in the film. “She went through the film as if she were the real Hazel, playing herself,”4 commented Powell. Powell and Pressburger’s initial working relationship with Selznick was good. “We were tolerant about his big-boyish enthusiasms and were sympathetic about his infatuation with Jennifer,” declared Powell.5 But the relationship became strained as filming progressed. The newlyweds would take off for various destinations in Europe in a DC3 chartered aircraft to resume their honeymoon during breaks in filming. Powell and Pressburger were relieved when Selznick departed for America and Jones could be left in peace. The peace didn’t last long as Selznick returned to London in October, 1949. On a night shoot on a pub set at the Sleap air base hangar, Powell discovered Jones slumped over a table, drunk on cider that she mistook for the non-alcoholic American variety. Powell found an angry, bitter woman verbalizing her repressed emotions in a torrent of abuse for David O. Selznick, whom she claimed she hated. She blamed him for destroying her marriage with Walker and trapping her in a contract merely to mold her in his image. She regretted agreeing to the marriage and detested his possessiveness and her lack of freedom. Jones exclaimed, “Well, what are you and Mr. Fucking Selznick going to do about it?... What do I care about you and your picture? Screw you! And screw your picture and screw ... Mr. ... Mr. Selznick, the greatest producer in the world....”6 The emotional outburst served as a form of therapy and the following day she returned to the pleasant, friendly young woman all the crew admired for the remainder of the film. Cinematographer Christopher Challis considered Jennifer Jones, “...an extremely nice person, bordering on the verge of eccentricity.” She would bicycle through the Shropshire countryside while the crew waited patiently for her return. Her practice of yoga also caused frustration and some amusement among the crew as she prepared for her scenes standing on her head.7 Gone to Earth was viewed by the British Field Sports Society as prejudicial to the “sport” of fox hunting; they advised members not to supply a pack of hounds for filming.8 This placed the final scenes in jeopardy. The British Field Sports Society president, the Duke of Beaufort, stated, “The film is not one in which any real sportsman would wish his hounds to take part.” Powell and Pressburger made their frustration known in a letter to the London Times

110

Jennifer Jones

(October, 1949): “[W]e are forced to at last to bring this difference of opinion into the open in the hope that there is a Master of Fox Hounds with a mind of his own and enough sporting blood to help us finish the film within our budget, which is being endangered by the veto.” The letter produced the desired result and their problem was resolved when a Welsh farmer offered his pack of hounds for filming. As thanks to the generous farmer, he was given the role of Master of Fox Hounds in the film. The filming for Gone to Earth took place across Shropshire and Welsh border country including the village of Much Wenlock, Pontesford Hill as Hunter’s Spinney, Snailbeach-Lordshill Chapel featuring the Chapel and God‘s Little Mountain, Pontesbury, Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Longner Hall, Atchem doubling as Squire Reddin’s home, Stiperstones for the Devil’s Chair scene, Pentre as the Callow, Eyton for scenes of the race course, Sleap air base hangar for interiors of the pub and Marquee, Hughley for the scene of Hazel riding a trailer behind a traction engine, and Bromlow Callow. Interiors were filmed at the British Lion Studios, part of Shepperton Studios in Surrey. The fine color cinematography of Christopher Challis is complemented by an atmospheric score by Brian Easdale, whose use of the huntsman’s horn and choir is repeated throughout the film against a backdrop of windswept trees and storm clouds to indicate impending danger. Easdale also composed and wrote the lyrics to “The Mountain Ash” and wrote the music to “Sigh No More Ladies” which accompanied lyrics based on “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare. “Harps in Heaven” was based on a traditional song which Easdale arranged for harp. Jones performed all three songs in the film. Filming wrapped on November 3, 1949. Gone to Earth premiered at the Rialto Cinema near Piccadilly Circus in the West End of London to a lukewarm reception by film critics. Variety (1950) noted: Primarily a simple yarn about simple people, it is without finesse, polish or sophistication. Dialog just about emerges from the monosyllabically state.... Jones makes the character of Hazel Woodus a pathetic, winsome creature. It is a genuine and at times glowing performance.

The B. F. I. Monthly Film Bulletin (October 1950) commented: It is difficult to know what to make of this film. The original novel is absurd enough, but Mary Webb had at least a passionate absorption in her weird rustic world, and attempted no more than a tragic little story of a pagan child of nature hunted, like her pet fox, to death by human beings. Powell and Pressburger appear to have inflated it to an allegorical statement of spiritual and carnal love fighting it out over an innocent being, and their slow, stilted, portentous method makes the slight story seem even more ridiculous

12. Gone to Earth

111

than perhaps it is. Over-rich, sophisticated experiments in colour and a cold treatment of the improbable are further incongruities. The barefoot, bedraggled appearance of Jennifer Jones is negated by her carefully made-up face and uneasy variations of local accent: David Farrar gives a brutish but wooden performance as Reddin.

Powell responded to criticism of Gone to Earth in an interview for Picture Goer (December 30, 1950). He began his counter-attack with mention of his mother and father’s family coming out of “the hills of Hereford” and “the soil of Worcester” and of how his connection to neighboring Shropshire gave him an insight into the country and the people. Powell answered critics of Jones’ accent by stating the local Shropshire folk saw no fault in her dialect. “Jennifer climbed Caer Caradoc with us, one of many hills she climbed. What a beautiful woman, great-hearted girl, inspired actress, restless soul.” When Powell and Pressburger showed Selznick the initial cut of the film, he responded, “I’m not Theatrical poster design for the original satisfied with your cut, boys. I am U.K. release of Gone to Earth. The design going to take this picture over.” He opted for artwork that had little relation to a representation of Jennifer Jones. added, in a detached, cold, matterof-fact manner, that he was going to sue them for “deviations from the script.”9 Through his British lawyer Sir Lancelot Joynson-Hicks, Selznick sought an injunction against Gone to Earth for failing to keep to the spirit of Webb’s novel and therefore not complying with their contractual obligations. The court disagreed with Selznick’s objections and London Films retained the British rights.

112

Jennifer Jones

Meanwhile, in New York, Selznick was involved in further legal wrangles with Alexander Korda and was told by Judge Robert P. Patterson that if he chose to re-edit Gone to Earth for American release, he would be limited to three scenes of retakes and would have to finance it himself. In a letter to screenwriter Ben Hecht, Selznick detailed what he considered were weaknesses in the original production: “They have two tremendous faults. The first is an excessively English resistance to portrayal of emotions, which I am hoping to cure with retakes and additional scenes following completion of the job of re-editing the film. And the second is a fantastic obsession against making things clear.” Selznick was certain he had a film he couldn’t sell to an American audience and made the decision to film new scenes to be edited into the existing footage. He asked Powell if he would film the new scenes but Powell refused. Then he approached King Vidor, William Wyler and Josef von Sternberg, who also refused. Finally he hired veteran director Rouben Mamoulian, who found that the temptation of money overruled any artistic considerations. Filming began under the working title Gypsy Blood with Jones, Cusack and Farrar reprising their roles in Hollywood. Selznick hired Joseph Cotten to narrate a prologue where he offers an explanation of local customs and describes the Welsh border landscape. Cinematographer Christopher Challis accepted Selznick’s The American poster design for the retitled The Wild Heart featured representational art- offer to film new scenes in work based on a publicity still featuring Jones Hollywood but was given the and David Farrar. cold shoulder by the American

12. Gone to Earth

113

crew. Challis immediately experienced Selznick’s obsessive need for perfection and control in a scene involving Jones praying by candlelight. Challis stood his ground against Selznick’s criticisms while the American crew retreated into the shadows. The following day, at the screening of the filmed footage, Challis received an apology from Selznick, who admitted he was wrong and Challis was correct in his judgment of how the scene should be lit. Their relationship improved greatly following Selznick’s unexpected apology.10 The new footage cost Selznick $165,000. Scenes from the original version were deleted and the film reduced from 110 minutes to 82 minutes. Gone to Earth was eventually released in the U.S. as The Wild Heart and premiered in Los Angeles on January 17, 1952. Although not a great success, it did better business than Gone to Earth. As Powell later admitted, “It was only the American version that was a hit.” Los Angeles Times film critic Edwin Schallert commented ( July 17, 1952): Romantic witchery, an element too often missing in later days on the screen, is pursued and to a substantial degree captured in The Wild Heart....

Time ( June 9, 1952) stated: The Wild Heart often turns out tame in its preordained plotting, but the story has been imaginatively told.... The picture has a warm, earthy flavor with handsomely photographed Technicolor scenes of the rolling Shropshire countryside. And a strong cast helps cover up some of the story weaknesses: David Farrar swaggers masterfully as the horsy squire, and Cyril Cusack is appropriately pale and wan as the deserted parson. But it is in Jennifer Jones’s lush, wide-eyed performance as the passionate girl that The Wild Heart beats most strongly on the screen.

The New York Times (May 29, 1952) opined: As Hazel Woodus, the young lady given to barefooted sprinting across the moors and sheltering maimed and hunted creatures of the wild, Miss Jones’ untamed good looks have never been put to better advantage. But the stark crescendo of the proceedings more often suggests the case history of a delinquent hill-billy.... Saddest of all, the superbly landscaped canvas of the film, instead of underlining it, more often dwarfs The Wild Heart to the point of banality. Wild it is, wild and woolly, but detached from reality, unlike Miss Webb’s original, for want of nothing more than a simple, steady heartbeat.

The Australian film critic for The Age (May 4, 1953) commented: Despite acting of a very high standard by Jennifer Jones ... the film fails to establish any bond of sympathy with the audience.... Mary Webb’s story used the fox to express her ideas of the conflict between the spiritual and the material. The film is too literal a medium to allow this symbolism to be expressed with the same restraint.... This was shown by the reaction ... when one of the actors

114

Jennifer Jones

hurtles down a hidden mine-shaft as a huntsman off screen calls, “Gone to Earth!” The audience laughed — and the whole climax of the film was destroyed.

Schenectady Gazette critic Barbara Searles reported (September 4, 1953): This new film ... has some outstanding values.... Jennifer Jones gives another superb performance to demonstrate her remarkable acting ability. And the beautiful Welsh countryside, filmed in color, proves that authentic settings can greatly enhance a picture.

In 1986, the National Film Archive of Great Britain-National Heritage Memorial Fund restored the original version of Gone to Earth. Writing for the Monthly Film Bulletin (November 1986), Pam Cook was critical of the reedited The Wild Heart. The addition of a doom-laden prologue ... “explaining” what in the Powell and Pressburger version is represented allusively, together with “labels” presumably inserted for the benefit of American audiences and the deletion of several shots which have cinematic or symbolic rather than narrative significance, combine to “literarise” the film, to reclaim its wild imagery in favor of the word. And Jennifer Jones’ utterly convincing performance as the complex and divided heroine of Gone to Earth is transformed in the reshot sequences into a virtual reprise of Pearl’s steaming sensuality in Duel in the Sun.”

Adrian Turner previewed the newly restored film for the BBC Radio Times (November 5–11, 1988):

Hazel Woodus is at the mercy of her own passions.

... Gone to Earth lives fully up to its title, smelling of truffles, ceps and morel mushrooms; in other words, it’s a delicacy, wild and uncultivated and weirdly compelling.... It is not a long lost British masterpiece; it’s a piece of pure Celtic chemistry, dominated by Jennifer Jones. It is an amazing performance that finds truth in trash.

12. Gone to Earth

115

In his autobiography Million Dollar Movie (1995), Powell reflected on his time spent with Selznick: “I think we must come to the surprising conclusion that the great David O. Selznick was a big fraud. He was a producer like other Hollywood producers: a packager, a memo writer, a picker of men’s brains — not a creative person at all.... He was a pain in the neck.”11 But his memories of Jennifer Jones remained one of the highlights of working on Gone to Earth: “She was one of the most beautiful and talented young creatures that I have ever seen. She had the grace, strength and agility of an untamed animal, and I never tired of watching her.”12

13 Carrie How was it that, in so little a while, the narrow life of the country had fallen from her as a garment, and the city, with all its mystery, taken its place? Here was the greatest mystery, the man of money and affairs sitting beside her, appealing to her. — Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie (1900)

The film opens as eighteen-year-old Caroline Meeber ( Jennifer Jones) leaves her family home in Columbia City for a job in a Chicago shoe factory. Finding herself unemployed and searching for work, she is befriended by traveling salesman Charles Drouet (Eddie Albert), a slick charmer she originally met on the train journey from Columbia City. When he invites her back to his apartment with the intention of seducing her, she ends up taking permanent residence. Although Carrie considers herself devoted to Drouet, she becomes romantically involved with Drouet’s friend George Hurstwood. As the manager of Fitzgerald’s restaurant and bar, Hurstwood is a class above Drouet in his refined manner and professional standing. But their love for each other is built on a fragile footing and slowly Hurstwood’s life and their relationship fall apart. Carrie rebuilds her life as Hurstwood plunges into greater despair. Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945) had to look no further than his sister Emma for the inspiration behind the lead character in his novel Sister Carrie. Emma fell in love with the cashier at Chapin & Gore, a downtown bar in Chicago, only to discover he was already married. Despite this, they fled to Montreal and lived on $3,500 savings he later admitted he stole from the Chapin & Gore safe. Emma and Hopkins then relocated to New York and survived by renting rooms to prostitutes. In the novel, Emma’s lover L.A. Hopkins became George Hurstwood and the saloon Chapin & Gore was renamed Fitzgerald & Moy’s. 1 At Doubleday, Page & Company, Neltje Doubleday read Dreiser’s manuscript and declared Carrie Meeber evil. Her husband Frank agreed that the 116

13. Carrie

117

In Carrie (1952), Hurstwood (Laurence Olivier, left) enjoys the company of Carrie (Jones) and his friend Charlie Drouet (Eddie Albert) over a game of cards.

book was immoral. Walter H. Page, who had initially accepted the manuscript for Doubleday, Page & Company, began to retract his earlier promise of publication. The objections to the novel were based on the lack of moral direction of the main characters and the ultimate social and financial success of Carrie Meeber despite her amoral way of life. A sinful female character could not be rewarded for her destructive actions.2 After threats of legal action by Dreiser, Doubleday agreed to publish the book on November 8, 1900. Two years later, only 456 copies had been sold, thanks to Doubleday’s intentionally weak promotion and an uninterested public.3 But as the years passed, Sister Carrie gained the praise of critics, and subsequent releases by various publishers garnered increased sales. The road to the screen was as twisty as the publication history of Dreiser’s novel. Dreiser’s focus was originally on a stage adaptation with Lionel Barrymore expressing interest in 1922. Theatrical producer H.S. Kraft employed playwright John Howard Lawson to dramatize Dreiser’s novel for a proposed production starring Paul Muni in the late 1920s. The production was aborted when Dreiser rejected Lawson’s adaptation. Abandoning thoughts of a theatrical production, Dreiser turned his attention to the big screen but the film

118

Jennifer Jones

studios met with constant refusal from the Motion Picture Association of America and the Production Code Administration. In a letter from Joseph Breen to Jack L. Warner dated October 11, 1937, Breen outlined his objections and proposed solutions. “There should be no suggestion of illicit sex anywhere. The development of the love affair between Carrie and Drouet would be an honest love affair.... While the marriage between Carrie and Hurstwood would be a bigamous marriage, it would be entered into ... by Carrie in complete ignorance of the real situation.” The suicide of Hurstwood also presented problems as it was considered morally objectionable. Breen asked, “[C]ould you not find some other way to dispose of Hurstwood?” When Dreiser sold the rights to RKO in 1939, suggestions for the role of Carrie ranged from Ginger Rogers to Irene Dunne. Suggestions for the casting of Hurstwood included John Barrymore, Edward Arnold, Walter Connolly and Charles Laughton. George Raft was considered for the role of Charles Drouet. With RKO’s planned production in limbo, William Wyler bought the rights from RKO in 1947. Lillian Hellman was approached to adapt the novel but her schedule forced her to reluctantly turn down the offer. Ruth and Augustus Goetz, previously best known for their work with Wyler on Henry James’ The Heiress (1949), assumed the role of screenwriters. The MCAA and PCA granted provisional approval with the stipulation that the character of Mr. Fitzgerald be created as the voice of moral reasoning.4 Casting the role of George Hurstwood presented difficulties when, according to some sources, Cary Grant turned it down. Wyler actively pursued Sir Laurence Olivier. Ruth and Augustus Goetz preferred Fredric March, who not only had considerable screen presence but was also American. Wyler felt that March lacked the sophistication of Olivier and ignored their suggestion. Olivier worked on perfecting a Midwest accent with the help of Spencer Tracy as his language coach. Wyler’s original choice for the role of Carrie Meeber was Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor had beauty and youth on her side and a certain level of maturity and sophistication for an eighteen-year-old. But MGM refused to loan her out. Ava Gardner seemed a natural second choice. Wyler had concerns about Jones being too old for the role and considered the younger Cloris Leachman until Selznick reminded him that Jones appeared much younger on screen than her natural age of thirty-one in 1950.5 Jeanne Crain had reluctantly turned down the opportunity to contend for the role because she was pregnant. Jones, who was pregnant when filming began, kept it hidden from Wyler. He was understandably upset when she

13. Carrie

119

Hurstwood (Laurence Olivier) keeps his marriage hidden from Carrie (Jones) as she agrees to leave Drouet for him.

120

Jennifer Jones

finally told him. It was an intentional deception aimed at securing the role. It also placed her pregnant body under great strain as the period drama meant she had to wear laced corsets in many scenes. Olivier found the experience of working with Jones far removed from his initial feelings of delight and soon became frustrated with his co-star’s constant need for direction. Instead of understanding Jones’ insecurities and need for perfection, Olivier saw in her actions a lack of understanding of the material. In a letter to his wife Vivien Leigh, he referred to Jones as “a cunt.”6 “ I guess she bloody well fucking doesn’t know anything about anything,” continued Olivier. Eddie Albert viewed Jones as a hard worker who never complained. But unbeknownst to Albert, Jones was reporting proceedings on the set to Selznick, who much to Wyler’s annoyance continued to bombard Wyler with memos detailing his demands. Wyler gave them scant attention because he was well aware that Selznick did not have the power to control him. But Jones’ pregnancy, Selznick’s continual memos and Olivier’s temperament (caused in part by a painful leg and his increasing frustration with Jones) did not make for a relaxed environment during filming. Talking about his role, Olivier told Alice Pardoe West in June 1952, “It follows the tragic law of Shakespeare — the inevitable destruction of anything that has a flaw in it.... In the last analysis, it’s the human heart you must interpret. You must understand every facet of it before you hope to illuminate it for other people. That’s the actor’s job.”7 Wyler considered Hurstwood a flawed character who had, by his actions, sown the seeds of his own destruction. Wyler viewed Carrie as a woman destined for “emotional greatness” who was ultimately not responsible for Hurstwood’s troubles. Hurstwood was his own worst enemy and his suicidal depression almost an inevitable outcome. Asked by Howard Thompson of The New York Times (May 25, 1952) about the difference between working on American and English films, Jones replied, “The director is really the difference. No two of them work alike. William Wyler, on Carrie, has his own way.... We go in for more rehearsals on this side.... We spent two weeks acting out Carrie— at David’s suggestion.” When filming was completed on November 2, 1950, Carrie was placed on the shelf. It was seen as too negative and too controversial for right wing conservatives such as Senator Joseph McCarthy and the increasingly paranoid House Un-American Activities Committee, who saw any sign of defeatism in the American system as having a Communist agenda. Ginger Rogers’ mother had fueled the controversy over the novel when she appeared before HUAC in October 1947 and claimed her daughter had originally turned down the role of Sister Carrie because it was “open propaganda.”

13. Carrie

121

The flophouse scene was removed and Hurstwood’s suicide only hinted at to appease right wing critics looking for any excuse to accuse the film of promoting a Communist agenda. Nearly two years after production wrapped, Carrie premiered in New York City on July 16, 1952. In her column “Press Passes” for Abilene Reporter News ( January 18, 1953), Tracy Tothill warned her readers about Dreiser’s novel: “Dreiser’s works in our opinion are an unhealthy criticism of the U.S. We understand that in 1945, the year Dreiser died, he made application for membership in the Communist Party ... judging by the novel, Dreiser’s standards weren’t all that desirable.... So if you must read the book, at least you know what you are reading. (We agree that our horror of Communism lays us open to the charge of bias).” The advertising for Carrie ignored the pessimism and highlighted the romance: “From the Theatrical poster for Carrie. Flaming Pen of Theodore Dreiser... The Story of a Love So Strong... That a Man Defies All Convention... It’s a Great But Tragic Romance... An Unforgettable Film Masterpiece.” Despite the film being Oscar-nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Black-and-White) and Best Costume Design (Black-and-White), it was a critical failure for Jones, who was singled out as the weak link in the cast by certain critics. The New York Times ( July 17, 1952) commented: Mr. Olivier give the film its closest contact with the book, while Miss Jones’ soft seraphic portrait of Carrie takes it furthest away.... This arrant distortion of Carrie — and the coy performance Miss Jones gives — reduces the theme of the drama to that of hopeless, deathless love, with most of the human implications

122

Jennifer Jones

and social ironies of the novel removed. And, on this romantic level, the story and the picture become pretty much of a handsome, sentimental display of emotional ecstasies and despairs.

Variety (1952) was unimpressed with the film but had praise for Jones: Theodore Dreiser’s novel of another era, Sister Carrie, has been given a literal adaptation for films and the result is a sometimes mawkish, frequently dated drama. As just plain Carrie ... it is a somber, low-key entertainment.... Jones gives one of the bright performances of her career. For Olivier, it is a role that gives him little opportunity for shading or dramatic intensity. Eddie Albert is excellent as the traveling salesman.

Henry Ward of the Pittsburgh Press (August 9, 1952) remarked: Director William Wyler has come up with a powerful and at times poignant film and one of the world’s best actors, Laurence Olivier, is paired with one of Hollywood’s best, Jennifer Jones, in an outstanding acting job. We believe that Director Wyler has capsuled literary etchings of Author Dreiser into a moving compelling movie that is frightfully natural at times. Fundamentally Carrie is a love story — but a love story full of hopelessness and despair and defeatism.... Carrie is not a happy movie but one that has been produced with care and acted with sensitiveness.

Melbourne, Australia’s The Age ( January 5, 1953) reviewer commented: Dreiser said more than comes out in the film. His heavy weight knocks at what he saw as the Great American Dream, the craving for luxury and romantic excitement, are softened to glancing blows in the films. They do not emphasize the social tragedy, They are love stories ... Laurence Olivier plays Hurstwood with a suppressed fury.... In the final scenes he is masterly. Jennifer Jones, though not always convincing, is sensitive and occasionally near to tragedy.

Terence Anderson, writing for Films In Review (March 1952), stated: With more realism, with more sociological emphasis, Sister Carrie might have made a good, though not a very popular, film. The audience is left wondering whether Hurstwood is a victim of neurotic apathy ... or of social forces.... The way the film is directed is not really compatible with its glamorous close-ups, heightening — and annoying — crescendos in the musical score, and gratuitous justifications for Carrie’s arrivism....

The Chicago Tribune film critic Mae Tinee noted (September 19, 1952): Director William Wyler has fashioned his film version of Theodore Dreiser’s Carrie with great care and skill, but what was considered a shocking story in 1900, now seems dated and melodramatic, however artistic.

Harold V. Cohen for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (August 9, 1952), wrote: Like Wuthering Heights and The Heiress, a couple of Wyler masterpieces, this one also has the moods and tapestries of soaring drama.... Mr. Olivier plays the

13. Carrie

123

major part in the enveloping effectiveness of this tale of hopeless, deathless rapture, and his portrait of the way of all flesh is cut to a razor’s edge. Mr. Olivier ... turns in an acting piece of chiseled perfection. Miss Jones stays out in front of the title role and makes secure the complex indecision of a pretty young girl without the intelligence to cope with things over her head.

Jet ( July 10, 1952) magazine made Carrie its “Movie of the Week”: Carrie begins slowly and with deadly insistence, ends with explosive intensity. Those who like their drama heavy will find Carrie to be a profound entertainment experience. Dreiser fans will discover that while many of the bitingly-powerful episodes in his novel are slashed from the motion picture ... few essentials in the story have been changed. Jennifer Jones portrays the Carrie of the book, a morally flexible female opportunist, to the letter.

Although Carrie is the central character in the first half of the film, it is Olivier’s tragic George Hurstwood who dominates the remainder. Olivier’s performance is both sensitive and powerful as he descends into despair over his increasingly bleak situation in life. Jones is most convincing as the young, naïve girl in the big city but the script lacks the courage to portray her as more than a victim of circumstances. She lives with Drouet but apparently doesn’t sleep with him. The film ignores any sexual relationship with Drouet and expects us to believe their “romance” is celibate. This not only softens the character of Drouet but suggests Carrie is merely a decent, if misguided girl. The audience is left with the memory of the destitute Hurstwood contemplating suicide. Carrie has receded into the background, her muted sexuality more in keeping with 1950s conservative America than the reality of Dreiser’s creation. After filming was completed, Jones suffered a miscarriage on December 16, 1950. She was six months into her pregnancy when she was rushed to Cedars of Lebanon hospital in Los Angeles. Devastated by the loss of her unborn child, she decided it was time to take a rest from films. Jones left Travis Air Base in Fairfield, California, on May 15, 1951, for a three-week tour of American military hospitals and service installations in Korea and Japan. Her morale-boosting efforts were rewarded with a citation from the American Red Cross and a gold medal from General James Van Fleet, field commander of United Nations Forces. In June 1949 Robert Walker claimed that his divorce from Jones was at the root of his heavy drinking. But now he was cured. “I wasn’t an alcoholic but I was on my way to being one. All my life I had felt unloved and unwanted. Liquor provided an escape for me.”8 His marriage to John Ford’s daughter Barbara on July 8, 1948, had been a major mistake, leading to a divorce after only ten weeks and a nervous

124

Jennifer Jones

breakdown for Walker. Following a violent incident at a police station in Topeka, Kansas, MGM head producer Dore Schary finally persuaded Walker to seek help at the studio’s expense by spending six months at the Menninger Clinic. “I didn’t want to go. I thought it was a horrible shame to go to a mental clinic,” the actor said. He had a hard time adapting to life at the clinic and made little progress until daily sessions with his psychiatrist brought him to terms with his childhood problems. “I found out that everything stems back to how you were treated and how much you were loved when you were little.”9 Walker was able to transform feelings of unworthiness and self-loathing into a positive attitude. He resumed his film career opposite Deborah Kerr in Please Believe Me (1950) but his best work was still ahead. Alfred Hitchcock approached him to appear as a psychopathic strangler who entices Farley Granger into a murder scheme in Strangers on a Train (1951). It proved to be the standout film of his short career. On August 28, 1951, Walker’s psychiatrist, Dr. Frederick Hacker, was called to the actor’s Pacific Palisade’s home by housekeeper Emily Buck. Dr. Hacker arrived at 6 P.M. He had been treating Walker for a neurosis “too technical to define.” Hacker called in Dr. Sidney H. Silver, who administered a sedative to Walker at 8:30 P.M. after Walker said, “I feel terrible, Doc. Do something quick.” According to Hacker, “We had given him this sedative 25 to 30 times in the past without ill effects.” Walker sank into unconsciousness following a hypodermic injection of the sedative sodium Amytal to quieten “an extremely emotional state.” Two or three minutes later he turned blue and suffered respiratory failure. The doctors applied artificial respiration and called the Emergency Squad at 8:32 P.M. Around 10 P.M., Walker was pronounced dead by Dr. Myron Prinzmetal. Prinzmetal had been called to the scene by Walker’s long-time friend Jim Henaghan, who claimed to have been present with Walker when died.10 Walker’s business manager Charles K. Trezona remarked that he had spoken with Walker at two that afternoon and “he appeared okay.” He was due to start a film at Columbia the following morning.11 Walker’s cause of death was listed as natural causes. No autopsy was requested. Jones was due to travel to the Venice Film Festival when she heard the tragic news. She immediately canceled her flight and returned home to tell her children. A memorial service was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles which Jones and Selznick attended. “Why don’t you leave us alone?”12 shouted Selznick when asked for his comments. Walker was buried in Washington Heights Memorial Park in Ogden, Utah, on September 4. David S. Romney, former mayor of Ogden, performed the funeral service at the Latter-Day Saints Chapel in front of approximately

13. Carrie

125

400 people. Flowers were sent by Jones, Selznick and her sons, who didn’t attend the services.13 At the reading of the will, Walker administered the estate to his brother Walter K. Walker. Half of the principal was to be paid to his two children when Michael Walker reached age 25 and the other half when he reached 35. Jones was left nothing.14 In 1995, biographer Edward Z. Epstein made a startling claim in his book Portrait of Jennifer. He recounted the testimony of one of Walker’s former “drinking buddies” who claimed that either John Ford or David O. Selznick had a connection to Walker’s death. Both had their own reasons for wanting Walker silenced, according to Epstein. Walker had humiliated Ford’s daughter in a shambles of a marriage and Selznick considered Walker a bad influence on his children. No proof was offered of any murder cover-up beyond Walker’s friend being beaten up so badly one night that he fell into a coma and allegations of fraudulent ambulance drivers, which couldn’t be verified.15 Following Walker’s death, his close friend Jim Henaghan commented on his marriage to Jones in an article for Redbook Magazine in November 1951: Phylis Walker ... has been blamed for many of the scrapes of her former husband. It is a cruel and unfair indictment, for it holds that Bob’s crack-ups were due to his “carrying a torch” for his former wife. Any competent psychiatrist will point out that his neuroses were caused by experiences and fears he suffered from almost the time of his birth to his adolescence. The breakup of his marriage may have been the trigger [shortly after his separation he began to show signs of melancholia] ... but if it hadn’t been that it surely would have been something else.

14 Ruby Gentry When I am living my personal and private life, I see no reason to impose an image on the world. — Jennifer Jones

Ruby Gentry ( Jennifer Jones) was “born on the wrong side of the tracks.” This basic message moves the story forward. Dressed in tight denim jeans and figure-hugging sweater, Ruby is obviously a rebel, stuck in the backwoods of Braddock, North Carolina. The object of her affection, handsome and rugged Boake Tackman (Charlton Heston), has his eye on Ruby but she lacks the “brains and breeding” of his intended bride whom he is marrying for money rather than love. The early promise this film shows is reduced to lightweight melodrama resembling a weak Tennessee Williams play when Ruby marries the elderly Jim Gentry (Karl Malden), loses her country accent and dresses in fine clothes. The transformation of an uneducated backwoods girl into a semi-sophisticated woman lacks credibility. Jones is more believable as a woman seeking revenge on a community that labels her a murderer following the death of her husband in a yachting accident. The “girl from the swamps” assumes control of James Gentry Enterprises and demands outstanding debts be paid in full immediately. But Tackman still rejects her despite her inherited wealth: “You can’t buy your way out of a swamp. And you can’t buy me.” Their continuing love-hate relationship culminates in a suggested rape scene that imitates King Vidor’s previous work on Duel in the Sun (1946). An increasingly angry Ruby takes revenge on Tackman by scuttling his land and ruining all his years of hard work. The final scenes in the swampland, where Tackman and Ruby find themselves hunted by Ruby’s Bible-thumping brother Jewel Corey ( James Anderson), carries the message, “The wages of sin is death.” The morality play concludes with the lonely figure of an aging Ruby Gentry reflecting on her life. The story places the blame on the temptress 126

14. Ruby Gentry

127

Ruby Gentry’s theatrical poster art captures the tempestuous nature of the story of the 1952 film.

who brings death to all who dare to make love to her. The men are simply helpless victims. David O. Selznick had arranged for Jones to appear in Ruby Gentry prior to their vacation in Jamaica in February 1952.1 Joan Fontaine had refused the role after deciding she was unsuited to play a backwoods Southerner. Early drafts of the script called this character Pearl, in a clear reference to Jones’ character in Duel in the Sun. Selznick once again decided he knew better than the writer and director by injecting his opinion into the proceedings. In a memo to producer Joseph Bernhard he stated: “There could not conceivably be two characters more different than Ruby and Pearl — as to background, as to self-competence, as to innocence, as to anything else.” In yet another memo to Bernhard, Selznick mockingly referred to the screenplay as “Duel in the Swamps.” The character of Ruby Gentry was clearly influenced by Pearl Chavez, and the director King Vidor was a direct link to both characters. Ruby and Pearl are both outsiders who are frowned upon by their community. Both are attracted to a dangerous man in a love-hate relationship. Both are raped by

128

Jennifer Jones

that man. And ultimately both films are overheated melodramas lacking credibility. To prepare for the part, Jones visited the isolated fishing community of Southport, N.C. With a population of 2500 and one movie theater that showed four different films a week, the visit of a major Hollywood film star was an event. Jones stayed at the Camellia Inn, where innkeeper Mrs. Bragaw lived with her daughter and her four grandchildren. Jones took a liking to the innkeeper’s daughter. Louise Mallison, who was in her forties, was a very attractive, outgoing woman who delighted in shunning social convention and attracting local gossip. Mallison accompanied Jones on her flight home to Hollywood after Jones invited her to work as her dialect coach for the duration of the film.2 Following Jones’ brief visit, members of the small community of Southport commented that she had been pleasant and approachable. Karl Malden discussed Jones’ unique acting technique while working on Ruby Gentry in his 1997 memoir, When Do I Start? “Before starting a scene it was as though she was hypnotizing herself, actually putting herself in a trance. You would be doing a scene with her, but you felt like she really wasn’t there.” Malden also recalls Vidor directing Jones in a boat scene. Despite Vidor’s warning cries to Jones to avoid a swinging boom, she was continually hit on the head by the boom and the scene was eventually shot without sound. Malden concluded, “Jennifer was simply in her own world.” 3 Malden’s observations may explain Jones’ actions during an emotionally charged scene at Morro Bay, California, when she broke a bone in her hand while striking Heston. The injury resulted in Jones wearing a brace on her wrist disguised by silver bracelets.4 Malden ultimately found Ruby Gentry to be of no particular merit — a view echoed by most film critics at the time of its release. Win Fanning for the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette ( January 17, 1953) commented: Ruby Gentry is a sort of half-hearted refutation of the great American belief that, despite humble beginnings, if one tries hard enough one will succeed.... Illogical from start to finish, the movie is so cluttered up with mushy dialogue, incredible happenstance and melodramatic claptrap, its message, if any, cannot possibly be taken seriously.... [Jones and Heston] never have a chance to rise above the script. It is a very melancholy affair.

The New York Times (December 26, 1952) remarked: [I]t is modern parable that has been pictured previously.... Since neither of the principals is cast in a sympathetic light it is a credit to King Vidor’s sensitive direction that Jennifer Jones, as a Ruby Gentry who is often more physical than delicate, gives stature to the delineation. A spirited and passionate creature, she generates voltage in tight-fitting jeans or evening gowns as the girl who could learn to hate as easily as she loves.

14. Ruby Gentry

129

Variety (1952) stated: This is a bold, adult drama laying heavy stress on sex, a story of fleshy passions in the tidewater country of North Carolina. Vidor belts over the blatantly sensual Arthur Fitz-Richard story. It’s a sordid type of drama, with neither Jennifer Jones nor Charlton Heston gaining any sympathy in their characters.... Jones goes through much of the footage in skin-tight levis, of which she and careful camera angles and lighting make the most.

Times Daily (August 23, 1953) remarked: Miss Jones has proved again in the melodrama of deep passions that she is at the historic best in “femme fatale” roles.

Mae Tinee of the Chicago Daily Tribune ( January 6, 1953) was unimpressed: This overblown melodrama has a plot that is highly complicated but manages at the same time to be completely obvious. It’s like a rehash of an old dime novel, plus a few modern touches, about sex and snobbery in the south. I’m sure it will bore northerners....

Despite lukewarm reviews, Ruby Gentry was Jones’ first box-office hit for almost a decade. Based on Selznick’s royalties totaling $100,000 from the popular zither theme for co-producing The Third Man (1949), he suggested “a theme melody for Ruby Gentry “that would be the basis of a popular song.”5 His recommendation for a guitar score was dismissed in favor of a harmonica-based theme by Heinz Roemheld that spawned a popular hit song by Richard Hayman.

15 Stazione Termini aka Indiscretion of an American Wife Jennifer Jones was an extremely neurotic girl, and would have twelve nervous breakdowns before rehearsals had hardly started. — Truman Capote

The simple premise of an adulterous affair between Philadelphia housewife Mary Forbes ( Jennifer Jones) and Italian teacher Giovanni Doria (Montgomery Clift) is played out against the backdrop of Stazione Termini in Rome, Italy. Mary is split between loyalty to her husband and young daughter in Philadelphia and the younger man she met on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Her moral dilemma is displayed in a scene where she writes a telegram telling Giovanni that she is forced to leave him, but will always love him, only to crunch the telegram into a ball and throw it away. Her departure for Milan serves as yet another failed attempt to remove herself from the temptation of her lover as she sees him from her train compartment window and rushes to his side, leaving the dress she had bought for her daughter in Philadelphia on the train. The expressions on the faces of Giovanni and Mary betray their inner emotions: Giovanni smiling with happiness, Forbes frowning and conflicted. She is guided by emotion, but her good sense tells her to leave for Paris later that evening. A long discussion at a restaurant follows, where we are introduced to the back story. Mary sees her affair as a “small adventure” and Giovanni as her “beau ideal” but she has greater responsibilities to her daughter and husband. Giovanni pleads with Forbes to stay, inviting her back to his apartment to talk. But the distraction of seeing her nephew and a dress that reminds her of her daughter causes her to admit, “Everything seems to working against us.” When Mary helps a sick pregnant woman and hands out chocolate candy 130

15. Stazione Termini aka Indescretion of an America Wife

131

In Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953), Mary Forbes (Jones) tells her nephew Paul to meet her at the station with her luggage.

bars to a group of poor children, she is reminded of the obligations of a mother, but the attraction of Giovanni proves too hard to resist and they find themselves making love in the compartment of a third class carriage parked on the railway track sidings. But once again Mary is reminded of her boundaries when she is arrested with Giovanni and questioned by the commissioner of police. The Philadelphia housewife has become a scarlet woman and the object of both scorn and lustful eyes at the train station. Her relationship has proved to be destructive and must come to an end. Clift excelled at displaying subtle shifts in emotion with his facial expressions and body language. The final scene of a lonely, dejected and resigned figure walking along the platform expresses his state of mind without saying a word. Jones is also effective at playing a conflicted soul who yearns for the love and romance missing in the relationship with her husband but who is constrained by the morals of society and her greater responsibilities to her daughter.

132

Jennifer Jones

Director Vittorio De Sica’s use of extras within the film serves two purposes. The laughter, singing and boisterous behavior of others passing through the train terminal highlights the problems of Mary and Giovanni within the context of the greater social scene of station life. Their problems are of their own making. The use of groups of people, whether singing or playing music, demonstrate the sense of purpose and community the group promotes. Two individuals, acting alone, are viewed as non-conformists, arrested and set apart for daring to address their own needs and emotions. Ultimately Mary conforms to the rules of society, but at what cost to her future happiness? Both De Sica and David O. Selznick were perfectionists who each had their own ideas about the script. Based on a story by Cesare Zabattini, the screenplay was credited to Truman Capote but was in fact a collaborative effort with contributions from Paul Gallico and Alberto Moravia. Writer Carson McCullers was an early casualty of Selznick, who exercised his power by hiring and firing without consultation. The casting of Jones and Clift was an unlikely partnership and was only agreed upon after Hedy Lamarr, Linda Darnell, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Farley Granger and Louis Jourdan had been briefly considered. Reports of tension on the set were reported in The Newark Advocate (May 15, 1953). A returning American tourist from Rome stated: “When I think of how Jennifer Jones slapped De Sica’s face, and all the battles David Selznick had with De Sica too, I wish they’d photographed the fights instead of the scenes in the script. It would have Mary (Jones) and Giovanni (Montgomery Clift) been more exciting.” Parade correspondent enjoy one final act of passion in a third class carriage at Terminal Station. Lloyd Shearer recalled his

15. Stazione Termini aka Indescretion of an America Wife

133

account of an Italian reporter for Il Messaggero: “Jennifer Jones behave like crazy woman. In railroad station we try to take picture with baby daughter and husband Selznick. She start to cry, grab baby, run through trains. ‘No pictures, no pictures, no pictures!’”1 De Sica attempted to lessen tensions between himself and Selznick by pretending to agree with his daily memos that often totaled fifty pages. But in reality he would ignore Selznick’s suggestions. Clift referred to Selznick as “an interfering fuck face.”2 Scenes were filmed between 10 P.M. and 5 A.M. to avoid the crowds. De Sica spoke little English, resulting in tensions between himself, Jones and Clift. He demanded constant retakes with the habit of telling Jones and Clift that their last take was “non proprio good” in his unique mix of Italian and English. Journalist Giuseppe Perrone reported that Clift was drinking during most of the six-week shoot and “hated being in the movie.”3 Jones developed a crush on Clift, little realizing he was more interested in the airline pilot who accompanied him to Rome.4 The presence of Selznick on the set often added to the tense atmosphere. Jones in turn tried De Sica’s patience with emotional outbursts and temper tantrums.5 In the book Encountering Directors by Charles Thomas Samuels, De Sica recalled Jones throwing the hat that she wore in the film into a toilet following a quarrel with Selznick. On two other occasions Jones ran back through the streets barefoot to her hotel, leaving the director and crew at the station unable to complete her scenes. Her tantrums cost De Sica four million lira.6 Selznick was unhappy with De Sica’s completed film. In his opinion there were too many distracting scenes that didn’t advance the main story. Edits would have to be made for the American release. Perhaps his strangest decision included the filming of an eight-minute prologue starring popular singer Patti Page. Page was best known to audiences through her best-selling hit “Tennessee Waltz” which stayed on the Billboard pop music chart for 30 weeks between 1950 and 1951, peaking at #1. To add to the lapse in judgment, Selznick decided on a glamour approach to the prologue, in complete contrast to the documentary-style footage of the film. The inclusion of Page singing “Autumn in Rome” and “Indiscretion” highlights Selznick’s poor creative reasoning. He had considered filming Jones miming the songs. It would have been preferable if he had simply left De Sica’s original film intact. Was the purpose of the prologue merely to create a longer running time for a film that he had cut from its original 89 minutes to a short 63 minutes? Or did the prologue serve as the epilogue to the film? Is Page a substitute for Mary Forbes who, after confessing her affair to her husband, now finds herself alone? Was it Selznick’s attempt to provide a morality lesson? Commit adultery and you lose everything? Whatever the truth, Selznick’s prologue only weakens

134

Jennifer Jones

the film that follows by reducing a serious subject to mawkish Hollywood sentimentality and superficial gloss. Selznick makes his presence felt immediately in the opening scene of Indiscretion of an American Wife when he deletes De Sica’s footage of Mary walking along the street and entering Giovanni’s apartment building. Instead we only see footage of her walking away from the building. This effectively destroys the tension of Forbes approaching Giovanni’s door and remaining undecided as to ring the bell or walk away — a tension that runs throughout De Sica’s film. Selznick tells us the outcome immediately. Selznick unnecessarily brings forward the scene of Forbes writing the telegram at the train station to the opening scene where she writes a letter. Only after we see the letter does Selznick include the scene where Forbes contemplates whether she should ring Giovanni’s doorbell. Selznick’s re-editing serves no purpose but to tell the audience what Forbes is thinking rather than creating a tension reflected in Forbes’ character. In a manner similar to his re-editing on Gone to Earth, Selznick underestimates the intelligence of the audience. Selznick abbreviates many scenes throughout the film, opting for tighter pacing. This approach works in the restaurant scene where Selznick deletes repetitive dialogue but his editing results in subtleties in characterization being discarded in favor of pacing which often looks rushed. The original film is more leisurely and conveys the passage of time in a more convincing manner. Selznick deletes entire scenes involving incidental characters. De Sica was interested in incorporating non-professional extras in his films following the success of The Bicycle Thief (1948). Selznick thought them a diversion from the main story. In Selznick’s thinking, extras couldn’t be characters in a film but mere silent figures to fill the background of a scene. The fact that De Sica included these characters as comic relief is completely lost on Selznick, who focuses on the two lead characters with myopic intensity. The extensive cuts were prompted by the poor reviews of De Sica’s original film but Selznick’s version fails to improve on the original which remains superior. The story may be flimsy and the casting of Jones and Clift far from perfect but De Sica displays creativity, artistry and judgment lacking in Selznick at this period in his career. Cinematographer Aldo Graziati (credited as G.R. Aldo) filmed Stazione Termini at dawn; these shots remain one of the highlights of a flawed but fascinating film. His neo-realistic approach was at odds with Oswald Morris who was hired to shoot close-ups of Jones and Clift with the task of making them appear more glamorous in a style in keeping with Hollywood sensibilities. The result pulls you out of the harsh, documentarystyle footage of the train station and into a soft-focus world of romance The reviewer for Variety (1954) failed to hide a dislike of foreign films:

15. Stazione Termini aka Indescretion of an America Wife

135

It is an Italian-filmed feature, very consciously arty and foreign.... As typical of foreign film pretensions, much use is made of bits and types flowing through the busy railway terminal to color and add movement to the picture.... The stars give the drama a real pro try and the professional standards of delivery are high, even though the character interpretations will not be liked by all.

The New York Times ( June 26, 1954) remarked: Miss Jones performs the troubled lady with dignity and sentiment. Though the role is a little unpleasant — a little unladylike and cheap — Miss Jones makes it look as though a female with decent and generous instincts is trying to work herself out of a tough spot. In the course of an hour, she makes a woman of little sympathy look much better.... Less can be said in favor of the lover, played by Montgomery Clift. He droops in dreary fashion and appears a pretty futile sort of man. The lady, in this particular instance, we would say, would never get along with him....

The Harvard Crimson (May 12, 1954) commented: Vittorio De Sica, in his first English language film, has tried to convert a simple emotional conflict into another of his Italian art masterpieces, and he has failed. He has failed because his picture did not include anything more substantial than a few lines of sentimental dialogue and a series of tormented expressions. Miss Jones sighs and pants in her usual professional manner, and the sluggish script calls for nothing more. Clift’s lot is no better.... De Sica’s use of the everyday drama of a railroad station occasionally brightens the submerged conflict. It is a losing cause, however, for he has stretched one poignant incident past the breaking point into a full-length feature.”

Clift summed up his experience by stating his bewilderment at accepting the role in the first place: “[I]t had been done before rather well in Brief Encounter.”7 Despite Clift’s misgivings about his decision to work on the film, he found in Jones a kindred spirit. Clift was a good listener and gained Jones’ trust enough for her to openly discuss her problems with a domineering and emotionally unstable Selznick. Like Clift, her personality was also in conflict and her emotions on a knife edge. Her on-set tantrums were signs of the stress she was under, coping with the difficulties of working a six-day week through the night on a location where few spoke English, and adapting to a marriage that was far from ideal. Clift’s biographer Patricia Bosworth tells the story of Jones giving Clift an expensive emerald-green Moroccan leather Gucci briefcase as a gift. Unfortunately the brass clasp was faulty and the case wouldn’t remain closed for any length of time. “It’s beautiful but it doesn’t quite work — how like Jennifer!” exclaimed Clift.8

16 Beat the Devil I’ve got to have money. Doctor’s orders are that I have lots of money, otherwise I become dull, listless, and have trouble with my complexion. — Billy Dannreuther

Humphrey Bogart listened on the phone as John Huston talked enthusiastically about a new book he thought would make a successful film: Beat the Devil, written by former London Times correspondent Claude Cockburn under the pseudonym “James Helvick.” (Senator Joseph McCarthy had labeled Cockburn the eighty-fourth most dangerous Communist in the world, resulting in the correspondent adopting the pseudonym.) Cockburn, a friend of Huston’s, was living in Ireland and in need of money when Huston offered him approximately $5000 for the Beat the Devil film rights. Cockburn accepted. Huston then sold Bogart on the idea of producing Beat the Devil for Bogart’s new company Santana Pictures Corporation. When Peter Viertel and Tony Veiller’s adaptation of Cockburn’s novel failed to please Huston, he employed Truman Capote at short notice. A car accident left Bogart seeking hospital treatment for a bitten tongue and missing teeth and gave Huston and Capote time to re-write Viertal and Veiller’s script. Then misfortune struck again when Capote’s impacted wisdom tooth also required hospital treatment. Undeterred, Capote continued writing from his hospital bed.1 Entire scenes were literally written at a moment’s notice as filming progressed on location in Ravello, south of Naples along the Italian Riviera. The opening scenes introduce Gwendolen Chelm ( Jones) and her husband Harry (Edward Underdown) watching Billy Dannreuther’s (Bogart) business associates walking through the Italian coastal town. Gwendolen’s comment sets the tone of the film: “We must beware of them. They’re desperate characters. Not one of them looked at my legs.” 136

16. Beat the Devil

137

Mrs. Chelm becomes intrigued with Dannreuther as she learns she’ll be sharing a boat with him and his associates to Africa. But a malfunctioning oil pump results in a delay of their journey and Dannreuther and Gwendolen get the chance to become better acquainted. The characters are all involved in a game of bluff and counterbluff in their desire to get rich from uranium deposits. Mrs. Chelm delights in flights of fantasy and makes claims on her background that involve her husband owning a coffee plantation and being a big name in London financial circles. Peterson (Robert Morley) distrusts the Chelms and views them as antagonists. When Dannreuther discovers the Chelms are liars, Gwendolen declares her love and desire to run away with him. But Dannreuther is more interested in his get-rich-quick scheme involving the uranium. As the misfits head to Africa on the SS Nyanga, the various bluffs begin to unravel. Harry Chelm distrusts Dannreuther who he believes has eyes for his wife. Peterson and the associates decide to stop Chelm when he tells them he aims to tell the authorities about the uranium deposits. Maria Dannreuther (Gina Lollobrigida) declares her love for Harry to stop him in his tracks. But her feminine charms are wasted on him. Dannreuther tells Chelm, “The only thing standing between you and a watery grave is your wits. That’s not my idea of adequate protection.” As Harry recovers from an attack on his life by Major Jack Ross (Ivor Barnard), Mrs. Chelm declares her husband mad and has him arrested. This not only keeps her husband safe from harm, it also protects the uranium deal. Her main motive is the money. Following the explosion of the boat’s engine, the group is shipwrecked off the coast of Africa. The Chelms finally turns the tables on Major Ross and Peterson when Gwendolen hands them over to a visiting Scotland Yard inspector (Bernard Lee). The final twist occurs when Dannreuther reads a telegram from Harry Chelm addressed to Gwendolen telling her he has acquired the land in British East Africa that Peterson intended to steal. Off set, while Huston, Bogart, Capote and members of the cast and crew played poker and socialized, Jones remained aloof under the care of her own retinue supplied by Selznick. Bogart was more impressed with the feminine attributes of Lollobrigida than Jones and commented that Lollobrigida “makes Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple.” In Robert Morley’s biography Larger the Life it was recounted, “Jennifer Jones had run fully clothed into the sea for no apparent reason except that, like everyone else, she was bored to tears.”2 The practical jokes between Huston and Jones that began on We Were Strangers continued when Jones returned to her room one evening to find Peter Lorre lying in her bed, dressed in a red flannel nightie, reading a news-

138

Jennifer Jones

Gwendolen Chelm (Jones), Billy Dannreuther (Humphrey Bogart) and Maria Dannreuther (Gina Lollobrigida) await their fate while under arrest in East Africa in Beat the Devil (1954).

paper and smoking a long cigarette. Her reaction to the unusual sight was to scream and, according to Lorre, jump on the top of the wardrobe, where she remained until Bogart rescued her from her predicament. The joke was on Jones as Bogart, Lorre and Huston returned to their poker game.3 As usual, Selznick took an active interest in his wife’s screen appearance and her wardrobe, sending regular memos to Italy. Selznick’s advice was acknowledged and then ignored by Huston, who, against Selznick’s wishes, preferred to film Jones in a blond wig. The film was not a pleasant experience for Jones, who preferred to work within strict parameters. Huston’s direction was scattered and at times intimidating. His insistence on Jones climbing the rigging of a boat unnerved her so much that she was physically shaking. Morley saw Huston’s actions in simple terms: He was essentially a bully and Jones was an easy target.4 Beat the Devil opened simultaneously in sixty-eight theatres in the New York Metropolitan area instead of being given a first run on Broadway. The film bemused critics who couldn’t decide if it was intended as a crime caper,

16. Beat the Devil

139

a satire or a comedy. In a period when genres were fixed points on the critics’ mental landscape, the idea of a cross-genre film wasn’t on their radar. Bogart agreed with the critics and distanced himself from Beat the Devil after its release, stating, “Only the phonies like it. It’s a mess!” Variety (1953) commented: There are carefully timed laughs in the script as well as intended comedy situations that misfire. The best gag is derived from Bogart’s interview with an Arab bigwig who provides a slow boat to Africa in exchange A blond Jennifer Jones as Gwendolen for a promised introduction to Chelm. Rita Hayworth. ... Under John Huston’s stylish direction a fine acting standard is maintained by a front-ranking cast. Bogart’s virile performance is handsomely matched by Jones’ pert and vivacious study of the wife of the Englishman who pretends to status and riches which neither has enjoyed.

The New York Times (March 13, 1954) stated: Mr. Bogart, as the kingpin, underplays with good-natured neutrality. The others seem, in turn, either nervous or plain determined, including a blonde Miss Jones as a rhapsodical liar. The best moments belong to the sauntering cutthroats personified by Mr. Lorre, Ivor Barnard, Marco Tulli and the portly Mr. Morley, whose cherubic evil provides the spiciest interludes. And some of the dialogue is delicious, as when Miss Jones delivers a discourse on spiritual values to a stupefied Mr. Morley. For all the studiedly suave professionalism, though, Beat the Devil ends up beating itself.

Time (March 8, 1954) commented: Of the principals, Jennifer Jones does the best with the best part — she manages to catch the mystic fervor of the truly creative liar. The uncertainty is understandable in a picture cuffed off as casually as Beat the Devil was. The marvel is that there is not more uncertainty. And yet, actually, the fluffing and the weasels and the downright mistakes are what give this picture, as they give a jam session, its personal style. What one comes to hear is not the clinkers but those crazy riffs, of which Beat the Devil has some fine ones.

Ottowa Citizen (March 20, 1954) reported:

140

Jennifer Jones

The performances of Bogart, Jones and Lollobrigida are strictly average in this story concerning a band of international crooks at large in Italy. But the performances of Morley, Lorre and Barnard, to name only those three, are masterpieces of characterization.... Morley’s a fabulous character who has it all over Sydney Greenstreet even when the late character actor was at his best.... Jennifer Jones, with blonde hair, is hardly recognizable, but she does come up with bright spots as the wife of a pompous Englishman.

Sydney, Australia’s, The Sun–Herald declared it among the best films of 1954: Witty, dry, prancing comedy of a delightfully wacky bunch of assorted racketeers and dolls on their way through the Mediterranean’s prettiest scenery to uranium rackets of Africa, Jennifer Jones delightful as a prattling scatter brain, and Edward Underdown a wonderfully stuffy English snob in tweeds.

The passage of time granted the film cult status but not universal acceptance. Jack Marsters of The Montreal Gazette (September 26, 1964) reflected on the reaction to its initial release: “When this film first came out, we remember a distinct sense of disappointment....

Gwendolen and her scheming husband Harry Chelm (Edward Underdown).

16. Beat the Devil

141

We didn’t like the whole tone of the movie — we felt gypped. Now 10 years later Beat the Devil comes into its own because it is a thriller with plenty of light touches to add to the suspense.... Beat the Devil is a delight which very likely was 10 years ahead of its time.” Huston defined the film in The Cinema of John Huston: “The formula is that everyone is slightly absurd. The crooks, ostensibly heroic people, the romance, even virtue, becomes absurd. Adventurers are rather out of date, hence the suggestion of satire, Although the film itself cannot be described as satirical.”5 In 1975 Huston defended himself against critics who dismissed the film because of claims it lacked a working script. “It’s not true that we made it up as went along. Every line of that picture appeared as it was written in the script,” he claimed.6 On February 28, 2006, the newspaper The Guardian published a letter from Claud Cockburn’s son Patrick who claimed that Capote biographer Gerald Clarke had given the impression that Capote had written the script for Beat the Devil: For admirers like Mr. Clarke, Capote provided “words that were completely fresh.” In reality, his contribution was limited to a few concluding scenes which had to be altered at the last moment. My father was in Ireland and Capote, who happened to be available in Italy, was pressed into service. In subsequent years, as the film acquired a cult following, Capote did nothing to contradict exaggerated accounts of his own connection with movie.7

This light-hearted comedy drama suffers from a muddled story, uneven editing and often unfocused

The Belgian theatrical poster art accentuates the sexual appeal of Gina Lollobrigida.

142

Jennifer Jones

performances from a high-profile cast. Robert Morley as Peterson gives the standout performance, while Jones demonstrates versatility as an actress with a command of light comedy in her portrayal of a compulsive liar and fantasist. At the center of the story is a plot involving uranium in Africa, but the memorable scenes involve the interplay of characters who all exist on the fringes of respectable society. Huston admitted that the off-the-wall humor “left viewers bewildered and confused” on its release and appealed to Europeans more than Americans.8 Its importance has been exaggerated by film critics seeking to see meaning in Huston’s direction and the interplay of characters. Generally misunderstood on its release, it remains a frustrating film that promises much more than it delivers but appeals because Huston had the creative insight to take a mocking swipe at the self-imposed boundaries of film genres. On their return from Europe, the Selznicks bought a Spanish colonialstyle house, previously owned by Miriam Hopkins, in the wooded hills of Benedict Canyon. Other previous occupants included John Gilbert and Greta Garbo. Selznick and Jones marked their new home with their distinctive style. The grounds included a swimming pool and tennis court and provided the perfect venue for entertaining guests. In the study, above the fireplace, hung Robert Brackman’s portrait of Jones used in the film Portrait of Jennie.9 On August 12, 1954, Jones gave birth to Mary Jennifer Selznick. Following the heartbreak of her miscarriage, it was a joyous event for the parents. But Joneses’ involvement with her film career often meant that Mary Jennifer’s main source of affection came from her nannies, brother Daniel and a father who loved to spoil his young daughter.10

17 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing I found in him everything I touched and saw and knew, till all was reflection and shadow, rooted in knowledge and love of Mark. — Han Suyin, A Many-Splendored Thing (1952)

Han Suyin, a native of China, was born to a Belgian mother and Chinese father on September 12, 1917. Although a Eurasian, Suyin looked to her Chinese heritage as the prime source of self-identity. Her writing attempted to bridge the cultural gap between East and West but sympathies with China in the mid-twentieth century were often met with prejudice and the label of Communist. Suyin’s best-selling autobiographical novel A Many-Splendored Thing detailed her time practicing medicine at the Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong in 1949 and her relatively brief love affair with London Times foreign correspondent Ian Morrison which ended tragically in 1950. Suyin fictionalized Morrison’s name to Mark Elliott for her novel and changed his nationality from Australian to British. The novel was well received by critics. Australian book reviewer Geoffrey Hutton noted in September, 1952, “Han Suyin is a writer of unusual subtlety, and persuasiveness, who is difficult even to analyze, can watch the movement of history clearly and dispassionately; who can reveal her own personal tragedy without being sorry for herself; a person who is neither a partisan nor an egoist. Also, she can write vividly, expressively, without the trace of a cliché.”1 Suyin began work on her book after reading Morrison’s final letter to her. The delay in receiving letters from Korea resulted in Suyin receiving twenty-three letters he had written to her after his tragic death when his Jeep triggered a landmine. With the huge success of the book, 20th Century–Fox bought the screen rights but found their initial screenplay rejected in 1952 by the Motion Picture 143

144

Jennifer Jones

Association of America and the Production Code Administration. When a new screenplay was submitted in early 1955, it was once again rejected due to the story appearing to be sympathetic to an adulterous relationship. The sexual nature of the relationship was muted to get PCA acceptance and the relationship of Suyin and Elliott limited to embraces and kisses and hints that they never actually slept together. Screenwriter John Patrick removed the reallife Morrison further from fact, making Mark Elliott an American to accommodate the casting of William Holden, who was on loan from Paramount. In a memo to producer Buddy Adler, dated May 12, 1955, Selznick offered his opinions and expressed his anxieties concerning the presentation of Jones. Concerns centered on the decision not to alter her facial features to make her look Eurasian. He was also worried that the hairstyle made her seem older than her years. He also requested that Jones be allowed to speak with an English accent in keeping with her character’s education. The film takes place against the backdrop of the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong in 1949. Dr. Han Suyin ( Jones) is proud of her Eurasian heritage but views herself as Chinese. In her position as resident doctor she regularly treats Chinese refugees, including young children. Suyin is offered relief from the stress of her job when she is invited to cocktail party, where she meets handsome American journalist Mark Elliott (Holden). Since the capture and execution of her first husband by Communists, Suyin has repressed any romantic feelings and expresses a desire not to fall in love again. Although she learns that Elliott is married, Suyin still accept his invitation to dinner. When Suyin returns to Chungking to visit her younger sister, Elliott follows her and asks her to marry him. Despite her reservations, Suyin accepts. But when Elliott travels to Singapore to ask his wife for a divorce, his request is denied. On his return to Hong Kong he is assigned to cover the war in Korea. Suyin’s residency isn’t renewed and she finds herself looking for work. Suyin and Elliott share their anxieties at their favorite meeting place, a tree on a hill overlooking Hong Kong harbor. Unbeknownst to them it will be their final meeting. Jones and Holden were often at odds with each other during filming. Jones threatened to report back to Selznick about any problems created by Holden’s attitude which she found unsympathetic. She made life uncomfortable for Holden by chewing garlic cloves before intimate love scenes and refused his gift of a bouquet of white roses by throwing them in his face. 2 Jones may have felt threatened by Holden’s reputation as a womanizer — or, more likely, there was simply a clash of personalities. The film benefits from fine location photography by uncredited Charles G. Clarke. The location shots in Hong Kong, filmed with no dialogue, are

17. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

145

In Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), Dr. Han Suyin (Jones) and Mark Elliott (William Holden) enjoy dinner at the Macau Gran Hotel Restaurant.

skillfully edited with footage shot at the Fox Ranch at Malibu and at the Fox studios and back lot in Hollywood. The Chungking airport footage was shot in Hong Kong as filming was prohibited in China in 1955. The use of a process screen for background scenes was common in the 1950s and was utilized throughout the film. The memorable scenes where Jones meets Holden on the top of the hill were shot at the Fox Ranch and combined with location footage of Jones or Holden climbing the steps overlooking the Hong Kong harbor. Clarke’s outstanding cinematography is one of the highlights of the film. The fact that he didn’t receive screen credit for his location photography gives the false impression that Leon Shamroy was responsible. Shamroy filmed all the interiors and location shots in and around Los Angeles. In contrast to Clarke’s work Shamroy’s is often dull and flat. The beach scene is a clear example of his failure to match Clarke’s location work with a convincing studio set. The striking and colorful cheongsam gowns designed by Charles LeMaire were made of silk with a tight taffeta lining hanging loose from the outer

146

Jennifer Jones

skirt. The sheath maintained a straight shape and slim look with the addition of small weights placed inside the hem.3 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing includes a memorable music score by Alfred Newman who utilizes the title theme composed by Sammy Fain throughout the film as well as his own distinctive themes. “High on a Windy Hill” and “Destiny” are particularly moving cues that are incorporated into the final “God Has Been Good” theme at the film’s conclusion. Newman’s Chinese-style themes had little to do with authentic Chinese music; notice the contrast between his glossy and rather whimsical approach and the traditional Chinese music heard in the funeral procession sequence. Music critic John Burlingame has noted that Newman’s Chinese score was almost a trial run for his work on The King and I the following year. Uncredited source music by Hugo Friedhoffer was also incorporated into one scene.4 Fain’s title song (with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster) was a spectacular success for The Four Aces who released a single that hit number one on the Billboard chart on October 15, 1955. It remained at the top spot for six weeks and spent twenty-one weeks in the Billboard top forty. Although the film was a success with the public, the reaction of film critics was mixed. The New York Times (August 19, 1955) commented: With an important screenplay, it is no wonder that Mr. Holden and Miss Jones find themselves going around in narrowing circles, talking endlessly and holding hands. There is a great deal of running to meet each other at the top of a hill or looking out across the lovely harbor and insisting this simply can’t go on. Mr. Holden is serious and unyielding; Miss Jones is lovely and intense. Her dark beauty reflects sunshine and sadness. She could be a piece of delicately carved stone.

Variety (1955) mistakenly gave credit to Leon Shamroy for the Hong Kong location photography: Publicity photographs emphasized Jones’ Eurasian look.

Love, as portrayed and dramatized in this fine and sensitive [film], is indeed a many-splen-

17. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

147

dored thing. It’s an unusual picture shot against authentic Hong Kong backgrounds and off beat in its treatment, yet as simple and moving a love story as have come along in many a moon.... [Director Henry] King and lenser Leon Shamroy do a magnificent job in utilizing the Hong Kong backgrounds.... Jones is pure delight in a very difficult part. In her, the spirit of the book is caught completely.

Box Office (August 12, 1955) reviewed the film with the theater manager in mind: A poignant heartwarming love story, the film will find its most enthusiastic reception among the distaff patrons, who are dependable to leave the theatre wringing their handkerchiefs and loudly singing the feature’s praise. Every showman knows such an appeal means long and profitable bookings.... Like numerous recent Fox CinemaScopic giants, the picture brings a bonus facet in travelog form.... Superb performances by Holden and Jones.

Burton Tanco reviewed the film for his Panorama column (October 9, 1955) in the Abilene ReporterNews: Miss Jones gives an able performance as the Eurasian beauty.... It is the sincerity and warmth which she brings to her role that consistently keeps the film several notches above the soap opera level.... Playwright John Patrick, who prepared the film script, probably could have evoked greater sympathy for the lovers, if they had shown less awareness of the inevitable outcome of their romance. Film action flows

The theatrical poster art featuring a swimsuited William Holden hugging a kneeling Jones was featured extensively in promotion, including the sleeve of the popular film soundtrack.

148

Jennifer Jones

smoothly, however, and Henry King’s direction is effective at emphasizing the emotional qualities of the story.

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing was Oscar-nominated in eight categories: Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Art Direction-Set Direction: Color, Best Cinematography: Color, Best Costume Design, Best Music: Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Music: Original Song and Best Sound Recording. Oscars were awarded to Alfred Newman (Best Music: Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture), Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster (Best Music: Original Song) and Charles LeMaire (Best Costume Design). It would prove to be Jones’ biggest hit of the decade and her first Oscar nomination since Love Letters (1945). She lost the Best Actress Oscar to Italian actress Anna Maganini for her performance in The Rose Tattoo. Love Is a ManySplendored Thing also won a Golden Globe in 1956 for Best Film Promoting International Understanding. Jones expressed her surprise at receiving the Top Movie Performer of the

Jones receives the Audie Award for Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing alongside fellow award winners Buddy Adler (left) and William Holden.

17. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

149

Year award for her work in the film at the first Audience Awards poll. Jones stood on the stage beside producer Buddy Adler and co-star Holden, who presented her with the “Audie” statue of gold. When asked about her unexpected award, Jones told reporters, “I think it’s wonderful. It was a real surprise, and a very nice one.” Jones admitted that early in her career she often took success for granted; “Now I realize the value of such things and appreciate them more.”5 At the annual Photoplay Magazine Gold Medal Awards ceremony, Adler and Holden were present to accept their gold medals. Deborah Kerr accepted Jones’ award in her absence. Jones was also voted the Outstanding Movie Actress of 1955 by the trade newspaper Film Daily for her performance. Votes came from the American press, broadcasting and magazine film critics. Off-screen tensions between Jones and Holden remain hidden in their performances and Jones’ role as a mature career woman marked a welcome change of pace, even if the story often slips into romantic melodrama. Jones returned from the obscurity of recent box-office failures to success with her first film under her new contract with 20th Century–Fox. She had a newfound hope for the future. In a rare interview with Aline Mosby in 1955, Jones talked about her career and defended Selznick in the face of criticism that he interfered in her films. Jones decided it was time she “spoke up.” “He is much too busy, much too occupied with his own interests to become involved in anyone else’s production.... I get quite hot under the collar when people say and print these things. He wants me to be happy. When I say I want to do a picture he says all right.”6 Jones was adamant that Selznick “has never interfered in any way.” Despite the vocal protests of Jones, the facts were clearly different than her account. Selznick interfered in the majority of her films with his constant memos and demands to producers and directors. And many times she reported back to him after a day’s shooting.

18 Good Morning, Miss Dove Miss Dove was a certainty. She would be today what she had been yesterday and would be tomorrow. — Frances Gray Patton, Good Morning, Miss Dove (1947)

The best-selling novel Good Morning, Miss Dove was adapted by Frances Gray Patton from her three short stories originally published in The Ladies Home Journal: “The Terrible Miss Dove,” “Miss Dove and Judgment Day” and “Miss Dove and the Maternal Instinct.” The Book of the Month Club selection chronicling the life of a small town sixth grade geography teacher earned praise from critics. Charles Poore of The New York Times (October 28, 1954) called it “a cheerful mixture of Goodbye Mr. Chips and Mary Poppins, with touches of the rigorous way to salvation from Life With Father.” Patton, the daughter of the editor of The Raleigh Times, was educated at Trinity College (Duke University), Durham, North Carolina, and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and drew upon her experiences of life in Durham for her novel. The film rights were bought by 20th Century–Fox for $52,500. Olivia de Havilland was the preferred choice of director Henry Koster for the title role and England the preferred location1 but he had to settle for Jennifer Jones and the Fox studio lot by the time filming began on July 11, 1955. In the opening scenes we are introduced to the small town of Liberty Hill, home to the “Terrible Miss Dove,” a strict, authoritarian teacher at Cedar Grove Elementary School. Dressed in conservative gray, Miss Dove ( Jones) walks a familiar path to school each morning. With upright posture and stern, pinched features she demands respect and obedience in the classroom with a bell that commands the focus and attention of her students. Disobedient children are dispatched to the wash basin located in a corner of the classroom where they wash their mouths with a bar of soap and water. Pupils with bad posture are ordered to sit in the “correction stool” to straighten their backs and shoulders. 150

18. Good Morning, Miss Dove

151

The perfectly controlled world of Miss Dove is thrown into chaos when she experiences a shooting pain in the base of her spine and has no feeling in her leg. In a hospital waiting to undergo life-or-death surgery, she recalls her life in a series of flashback sequences that give us her back story. The gray Miss Dove was once a bright, happy young woman who wore fashionable clothes and had the attention of a handsome young man. But her life was turned around following her father’s death and news of his involvement in an embezzling scandal that left Miss Dove paying off family debts. Wilfred Pendleton’s (Marshall Thompson) proposal of marriage was rejected as Miss Dove devoted herself to a future in teaching. When graduate student Virginia seeks advice on her love life from the sexually repressed Miss Dove, all credibility recedes into the distance. And when the streets are filled with parents, townsfolk and students all anxiously waiting outside of the hospital to hear the outcome of Miss Dove’s surgery, we know we are in an America that only exists in the mind of the author: pure Americana presenting an idealized society where an entire community gathers together to learn the fate of one teacher and church bells ring when the news is announced. Miss Dove is basically soap opera posing as drama. The major weakness is the main character who is portrayed in such a cold, unsympathetic light that it is difficult to care if she lives or dies. Director Koster opts for a static camera with few close-ups, giving the impression of a filmed stage play. The story is firmly rooted in the mindset of 1950s America and includes a brief anti–Communist message that has little relevance to the proceedings. The town of Liberty Hill is predominantly white and middle-class, although a few African American students are seen in one school assembly scene. Jones gives a performance that is too stereotyped to be believable. There is no depth in her portrayal of a woman who has devoted her life to children, just a stern, unsmiling character acting far too old for a woman of 55. The story falls short of any meaningful characterization. Miss Dove is a onedimensional character and the town of Liberty Hill is basically a fantasy covering the real cracks in American society in the 1950s. Newspaper advertising for the film highlighted its educational merits; according to one blurb, “I sincerely believe that all parents should see this movie, as it will give them a clear picture of their school and the problems of a school teacher. All principals and teachers should also see it, as it will show them the duties of a school teacher.” The New York Times (November 24, 1955) film critic was forgiving of the film’s faults: Since it is unashamedly sentimental without being excessively maudlin about its heroine, Good Morning, Miss Dove deserves credit for being honest and enter-

152

Jennifer Jones taining. What matters it if this nostalgic review of the career of a schoolteacher and her impact on several generations of townsfolk appears obvious and, at times, cliché-cluttered? ... Miss Dove, in the person of Jennifer Jones, is a remarkable but believable character. Although she sounds like a character out of Dickens, her carefully etched portrait of the genuinely dedicated geography teacher is a neat blend of pride, genuine gentility and humor. [H]er bittersweet reflection makes for pleasant memories.

The Lodi News-Sentinel (May 31, 1956) remarked: Good Morning, Miss Dove blended deep emotion, rich color and action into a dramatic structure with strong human interest. The life of Miss Dove who kept her own passions and compassionate nature hidden under the rather severe exterior she believes necessary for the proper instruction of her pupils, motivates the deeply moving screen story with a tender sympathy.

Dorothy R. Powers of The Spokesman-Review (November 24, 1955) stated:

The theatrical poster art for Good Morning , Miss Dove (1955) emphasized the youthful Miss Dove even though she only played a minor part in the film.

Good Morning, Miss Dove will take virtually every viewer back to grade school [because] Jennifer Jones is the prototype of some teacher everybody remembers. Stern and proud on the surface and fiercely proud of her pupils under the mask.... [It] stands alone on its own merits as one of the season’s best tickets to nostalgia.

18. Good Morning, Miss Dove

153

Stanley Rosenbaum of Times-Daily (December 24, 1955) observed: Jennifer Jones does a beautiful job as the remarkable Miss Dove.... Good Morning, Miss Dove is a delectable slice of American life at its best. It’s the kind of a picture that will leave you with a warm, pleasant glow.

Box Office (November 19, 1955) stated: Jennifer Jones is superb in the title role, and her performance is rendered the more praiseworthy because she is an aging dogmatic spinster and a dominant part of the portrayal is played while she is immobile in a hospital bed. In marked contrast to her glamourous screen

Jones escaped serious image, Jones attempted a change of pace as the injury during filming when plain spinster Miss Dove. cinematographer Leon Shamroy captured the falling glass covering from a spotlight as it toppled toward Jones. The splintered glass cut deep into one of his hands.2 In his autobiography Straight Shooting, Robert Stack recalled Jones objecting to his touching her knee in a scene. Stack responded, “Jennifer, I’m the doctor, you’re the patient and it’s in the script.” Stack wrote, “She was the only really shy actress I’ve ever worked with.”3 Hedda Hopper interviewed Jones following the film’s release and asked her why she wanted to take on the role of Miss Dove. “I saw an opportunity to do some characterization. After all, an actress isn’t exhibiting her own personality.... I thought it good showmanship to do something different. As I look back, I think I could do it better now.”4 In an interview with Bob Thomas, Jones expressed her desire to increase her workload. “This is my second picture this year and I hope to do three. I’d like to have a full schedule the way other people do. I’ve usually made one picture and then laid off for a year.”5

19 The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit I’m sick of being smart and broke. — Sloan Wilson, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1955)

Author Sloan Wilson joined the Coast Guard in World War II. Commenting on his experience of commanding a small tanker that carried aviation fuel in the South Pacific, he said, “Always thought she was going to blow up ... it was truly a great strain.” The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, his second novel, was based on his war experiences and frustrations with 1950s corporate America. With his professional background in journalism, research and education, the novel gave a voice to millions of frustrated Americans forced to conform and bury their personal identity for the good of a company. Published in 1955, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit sold more than two million copies in its first year. Wilson credited his wife for suggesting the title and said the book was written “largely between 7:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M.” He concluded, “Without such a wife, writing a book and having a full-time job would have been impossible.” Fox’s Darryl F. Zanuck paid $200,000 for the screen rights1 to Wilson’s popular novel and budgeted the film at $4 million including the cast at $1.5 million. With Wilson’s first choice Montgomery Clift unavailable, Gregory Peck was hired. Peck researched the background to his character by visiting the advertising agency Batten, Burton, Durstine & Osborn on Madison Avenue in New York City and the offices of the NBC network. To his surprise, he traveled unnoticed by commuter train from New Haven to Larchmont. “an amazing experience” as he observed habitual behavior that bordered on a “comatose condition.”2 Peck soon discovered that the real-life advertising men he talked with didn’t resemble the characters in Wilson’s novel. The major difference Peck observed between the fictional Tom Rath and actual advertising men was 154

19. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

“their optimism.”3 Understandably the men Peck talked with didn’t care for the book, claiming it portrayed the network president in a negative light. The film’s opening scenes introduce us to family man Tom Rath (Peck), who is struggling to make ends meet. His wife Betsy ( Jones) feels defeated by their home which she refers to as a graveyard for happiness, fun and ambition. Rath is naturally conservative and doesn’t like to take risks. Betsy thinks he’s lost his guts and feels ashamed of him. Rath responds to his wife’s unhappiness by accepting a new job in public relations. Unbeknownst to his wife, Rath is still affected by his time as a captain in World War II and a love affair with a beautiful Italian girl named Maria (Marisa Pavan). Rath suffers from low selfworth following his wartime experiences and wants his wife to feel proud of him, but he even finds it a struggle to control his own children. Feeling a turn in fortune with a new job and an inherited house, Rath becomes involved in a dispute over a will and fears he will lose the house. Betsy continues to see weakness in her husband, whom she accuses of turning into a “cheap, slippery yes man” for refusing to stand up to his new boss (Fredric March). Their marriage is put to the ultimate test when Rath learns he

155

Theatrical poster for The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) that utilizes a common design of the period by mixing artwork and photographs from the film.

156

Jennifer Jones

has a son, borne by Maria, and tells Betsy. Her emotions, always at frustration level, tip into rage as she learns that her husband was having an affair with Maria while they were dating. Rath makes the decision to put his family first by turning down a job that will take him away from home. He realizes he is a nine-to-five man after all and the love of his wife is paramount in his life. The story is often confused and jumbled, going off at tangents that only make sense near the conclusion of the film. Flashback sequences early in the film confuse matters further. Part war drama, part melodrama, part soap opera, part social commentary, the film lacks focus. Peck never gets a true handle on the character of Tom Rath, whom he plays with a lack of passion. Jones is also inconsistent in portraying the frustrated, angry housewife who demands more from her weak-willed husband. Jones wasn’t pleased with her role and considered Betsy “shrewish.” Much like Charlton Heston on Ruby Gentry a few years earlier, Peck felt the wrath of Jones when she scratched his face after he grabbed her in the rehearsed scene. When the scene was repeated for a close-up, Jones once again got carried away and headbutted Peck. Jones, unable to accept criticism from director Nunnally Johnson, ignored him and simply walked to her dressing room. On another occasion, Jones overshot her mark when she rushed out of the family home following a heated argument with Peck’s character. Jones could be temperamental if things weren’t to her liking. The uneven keel of her emotions on set was transferred to the final film where her character seems constantly moody and on edge. Given Jones’ acting technique, it’s highly likely Betsy ( Jones) and Tom Rath (Gregory Peck) that playing the character overcome their marital problems at the conclu- affected her mood and the sion of the film. improvisation in a scene

19. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

157

where she suddenly decided to take a swipe at the contents of a dressing room table, knocking them to the floor. The trance-like state she employed had its limitations when fiction and reality merged. Variety (1956) remarked: ... Peck is handsome and appealing, if not always convincing. It is only really in the romantic sequences with Marisa Pavan ... that he takes on warmth and becomes believable. Pavan is human and delightful.... [Jones’] concept of the role is faulty to a serious degree. Jones allows almost no feeling of any real relationship between her and Peck. They never come alive as people.

The New York Times (April 13, 1956) stated: [This is] a mature, fascinating and often quite tender and touching film. Mr. Johnson is dealing with people who not only feel but also think and whose feelings and mental processes are truly conditioned by the patterns of their lives. He has wisely paced his film at a tempo that gives them plausible time to deliberate. In the burnished performance of this picture, all the actors are excellent.... Jennifer Jones is warm and irritable as Tom’s wife.

Syracuse Herald-Journal (April 12, 1956) commented: Always an accomplished actor, Peck outdoes him self with this picture. Equally good is Jennifer Jones, portraying his wife. This could have turned into an unsympathetic past but for the understanding and meaning she gives it.

Box Office (March 31, 1956) resident film reviewer Ivan Spear was impressed: ... Gregory Peck registers a soft-voiced, conservative, sincere delineation which packs the conviction and is somewhat reminiscent of his part in Gentleman’s Agreement.... Jennifer Jones, Lee J. Cobb, Marisa Pavan and other troupers too numerous to mention contribute as tellingly.... While CinemaScope and Deluxe Color are present and bestow their expected part upon the overall aura of star and opulence, the average spectator will be less conscious of them than is usually the case. That’s because the offering’s dramatic

By the mid–1950s, Jones’ beauty had matured.

158

Jennifer Jones

qualities are so overwhelming that process and tint ... are afforded scant opportunity for attention.

Time (April 23, 1956), commented: The movie that has been made from the book relentlessly envelopes every idea, obscures every issue in a smug smog of suburb inanity.... It was a virtue of the book that, while it conceded that publicity men may sometimes be intellectually dishonest, it showed them as human beings too. It is a vice of the picture that it can’t tell a human being from an overage Boy Scout. Greg is presented as a red-white-and-blue wonder boy just because he tells the boss man (Fredric March) a smart truth rather than a dumb lie.

Harvard University’s humor magazine The Lampoon named Jones “the worst actress of the year” for her performance.4 The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is unconvincing because it lacks genuine emotion and is played as melodrama more suited to Peyton Place than any meaningful commentary on the empty values of corporate America. The promise shown by Jones in her first film under her Fox contract had evaporated with the fulfillment of her three-picture agreement. Her best years were receding fast and she needed a strong role to ensure that the slide didn’t continue.

20 The Barretts of Wimpole Street How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach... I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise... I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! ... and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. — Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnets from the Portuguese (XLIII)

Rudolf Besier’s play The Barretts of Wimpole Street made its debut at the Shaw Festival, Great Malvern, England, on August 1930. Due to its scandalous content, descendants of Elizabeth Barrett’s father attempted to stop the production but failed. When the play premiered at the Empire Theatre, New York City, on February 9, 1931, celebrated stage actress Katharine Cornell played the lead, opposite Brian Aherne. Drama critic Robert Garland of the New York Telegram reported: “Miss Cornell gives the most sustained performance of her career.” Garland’s appraisal of the play was also positive: “Mr. Besier manages to be literate without being literary, romantic without being sentimental, dramatic without being melodramatic ... and you might add that he has managed to paint a portrait of a period.” In 1934, Sidney Franklin directed a successful film version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street featuring Norma Shearer as Elizabeth Barrett, Fredric March as Robert Browning and Charles Laughton as Edward Moulton-Barrett. Franklin was called upon to try and repeat his success in 1956. Dore Schary cast Jennifer Jones in the role of Elizabeth; early choice Grace Kelly had been eliminated after being placed on temporary suspension by MGM.1 The role was the fulfillment of a long-held ambition for Jones that began with her admiration of Cornell as Elizabeth in her acclaimed stage per159

160

Jennifer Jones

formance. On April 2, 1956, the 58-year-old Cornell reprised her role on a live NBC television adaptation of The Barretts of Wimpole Street for Producers’ Showcase.2 That same month, the new CinemaScope and Metrocolor film version began filming at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in Boreham Wood, Elstree, England. The cast of distinguished actors included acclaimed Shakespearean John Gielgud as the strict father Edward Moulton-Barrett, Virginia McKenna as Henrietta Barrett and Bill Travers as Robert Browning. Travers and McKenna became husband and wife shortly after the film was released in February 1957. The film focuses on the romance between poet Robert Browning and poetess Elizabeth Barrett. The sickly Elizabeth ( Jones), her two sisters, six brothers and domineering father ( John Gielgud) all occupy 150 Wimpole Street in the year 1845. The stern, overprotective father insists on being obeyed and rules his family with a cold, hard determination. “You’ll prove your love to me by obeying my wishes,” he declares. Henrietta (McKenna) is in love, but fears her father to such a degree that she cannot bring herself to ask his permission to marry the handsome Captain Cook (Vernon Gray). Elizabeth has been exchanging letters and poetry with poet Robert Browning (Travers). When she finally meets him in person, their love flourishes. The forceful and somewhat overbearing Browning refuses to give in to negative thinking and, unlike Barrett’s father, is convinced that Elizabeth can return to full health and have a life outside the confines of the Wimpole Street house. A new zest for life and a fresh optimism Norma Shearer (pictured) starred as Elizabeth lifts Elizabeth’s spirits and her Barrett in the original screen version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934). Director health slowly improves. The freezing depth of Sidney Franklin was hoping to repeat the success of his first film. winter is replaced by the fresh

20. The Barretts of Wimpole Street

161

new growth of spring. But Elizabeth still has to overcome her father who ignores the advice of her doctors and refuses to let her convalesce in Italy. He prefers to keep his daughter in a state of reliance upon him alone and decides to move out of Wimpole Street to live in seclusion in Surrey. But when he also forbids Henrietta to see Captain Cook again, Elizabeth finally rebels and the truth of her father’s relationship with Elizabeth is revealed. Box Office ( January 12, 1957) opined, There is no dearth of material upon which merchandising can be predicated — CinemaScope and color, the magnetism of Jennifer Jones’ name and, perhaps a teasing hint of the incestuous connotations which herein play as important a part in the yarn’s production as its basic theme of romance.... [But] the over-all effect is inescapably stylized and stagy.

Advertising for the film as noted in Box Office ( January 19, 1957) stressed the love story and twisted the facts.

Elizabeth Barrett (Jones, center) and her sister Henrietta (Virginia McKenna) long for freedom from the strict rule of their father (John Gielgud) in the 1957 The Barretts of Wimpole Street.

162

Jennifer Jones

Unkissed — wanting love, needing love, denied love — she dared give her heart to a handsome stranger at first meeting! Elizabeth Barrett was virtually a prisoner in the London mansion guarded by her fanatically possessive father. This is the story of her ordeal and escape — and of a love so beautiful it remains among all love stories one of the most exciting.

In his syndicated column On the Town (May 23, 1957), Al Ricketts remarked: John Gielgud is thoroughly despicable as the strong-willed father who needs a good stiff punch in the nose. Bill Travers plays Browning like a half back on his way to pay dirt (though there must be some historical facts behind it) and Jennifer Jones is sufficiently sick-looking as Elizabeth.... Overall, The Barretts of Wimpole Street provides eye-catching sets and costumes, snatches of the BarrettBrowning poetry and the timeless thought that “all the world loves a lover.” A rather unbeatable combination.

The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther ( January 18, 1957) noted how director Franklin had insisted that screenwriter John Dighton depict a less sickly Elizabeth than in Franklin’s previous version starring Norma Shearer. And it is noticeable that Jones plays her role with a certain level of healthiness from the first scenes. This makes her transformation to full health more believable within the timeframe of the story as Crowther observes: This mobility of the lady, which permits her to meet her suitor downstairs and even to have rendezvous with him in a flower-packed greenhouse in the park, does dispel the sense of imprisonment that came from her strict confinement to her room, but it does not dilute the basic drama. Nor does it crib the expansion of romance, Miss Jones is quite handsome and credible as a healthier heroine.... Mr. Franklin‘s direction is as sensitive and finished as it usually has been in years gone by, and the handsome production of Sam Zimbalist and his artisans is beautiful.”

Time ( January 21, 1957) commented: Because the play contained as much histrionics as history, it supplied actress Katharine Cornell with a dashingly theatrical vehicle when she first played it on Broadway in 1931.... It is still the romantic period piece it was, and though it seems a little tired for having been around so long, there is no apparent reason why it should not still attract large audiences. As the father, Sir John Gielgud is unrelentingly grim; as Browning, Bill Travers (in a wild change of pace from his muscle-bound Wee Geordie) is insistently romantic. The star this time is Jennifer Jones, who is pretty, not so healthy-looking as Norma Shearer, but not so convincing as Katharine Cornell.

The Milwaukee Journal ( January 30, 1957) commented that Jones was “convincing as Elizabeth” but had reservations about Bill Travers: He is big and bouncy but perhaps not everyone’s notion of the celebrated Robert Browning.... Gielgud plays this part with a frightening reality especially

20. The Barretts of Wimpole Street

163

when he reveals that his interest in his famous daughter is something more than fatherly.

Dighton’s screenplay was dependent on the limited focus of the source material by Rudolf Besier. The play fails to mention certain historical facts that would have added a back story to the motivations and personality of the father, Edward Moulton-Barrett. He built his fortune on the slave trade of sugar plantations in the West Indies and took pride in his younger daughter’s literary talents, publishing her first collection of verse, The Battle of Marathon, in 1820. With a revolt by slaves at the Cinnamon Hill Plantation in Jamaica in 1830–31 and the abolition of slavery in 1833, the father became something of a social outcast and retreated to Wimpole Street in 1838, where Elizabeth’s health worsened. The film begins just before her meeting with Robert Browning on May 20, 1845. We never learn the true nature of Elizabeth’s ill health, her gradual addiction to opium or the fact that a fall from a pony as a teenager injured her spine and was the trigger for her declining health. We see none of the “spitting of blood”3 described in letters from Elizabeth or the death of a brother from drowning in 1840. Instead the story starts when Barrett’s health is returning in 1845 and only includes one year of her life. However, in October 1845, Elizabeth confessed in a letter to Mrs. Martin that she was “taking forty drops of laudanum a day and cannot do with less.”4 Despite the superficial attention and glossing-over of real-life events, the film is a pleasant diversion and Jones delivers a fine performance. Virginia McKenna has a fresh, energetic presence A new life dawns for Elizabeth Barrett ( Jones) as her younger sister and and Robert Browning (Bill Travers).

164

Jennifer Jones

Gielgud is suitably rigid and unfeeling as the father. Bill Travers falters as Robert Browning. Lines feel forced and often lack feeling when Travers delivers them with more bluster than substance, but he does successfully capture Browning’s enthusiasm and youthful sense of joy in life. When Selznick was questioned by Lloyd Shearer in early 1958, he rejected reports that Jones needed his permission to appear in films he didn’t produce. He stated that Jones appeared in Good Morning, Miss Dove and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit despite his objections. “She has a fine mind of her own, and uses it. She is also extraordinarily sensitive and old-fashioned. She’s endowed with a strange mystical sixth sense that has converted me to a belief in extra-sensory perception.” When asked why his wife was so reclusive with the press, Selznick responded, “She simply has a deeply ingrained feeling about discussing her personal life. She is genuinely modest. She hates to talk about herself.”5

21 A Farewell to Arms She had wonderfully beautiful hair and I would lie sometimes and watch her twisting it up in the light that came in the open door and it shone even in the night as water shines sometimes just before it is really daylight. — Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms (1929)

The Italian front in World War I is the setting for Ernest Hemingway’s romance between English nurse Catherine Barkley ( Jennifer Jones) and American Red Cross ambulance driver Lt. Frederick Henry (Rock Hudson). When Henry meets Barkley at the British Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital, they fall in love and embark on a passionate romance. When Henry returns to duty, he find himself arrested along with Major Alessandro Rinaldi (Vittorio De Sica) on charges of disorderly conduct and being a German infiltrator. Rinaldi is executed by firing squad following a mock trial by an Italian kangaroo court. Prompted to escape, Henry reunites with Catharine and they decide to flee to neutral Switzerland and start a new life. But their happiness at the news of Barkley’s pregnancy turns to tragedy. Based on the 1929 Hemingway novel, A Farewell to Arms was originally filmed by Paramount Pictures in 1932 with Gary Cooper as Frederic Henry and Helen Hayes as Catherine Barkley. Frank Borzage directed. Hemingway made the unwise decision to sell the rights to his story outright for $80,000, with all subsequent remakes earning him no income. In May 1955, Selznick watched Gore Vidal’s adaptation of A Farewell to Arms on the sixty-minute live drama television series Climax! hosted by William Lundigan. Directed by Allen Reisner and starring Guy Madison and Diana Lynn, it reawakened Selznick’s ambition to film Hemingway’s novel.1 He bought the rights to A Farewell to Arms from Warner Bros. in exchange for Selznick International’s foreign rights to A Star is Born and a $25,000 cash payment. Selznick then hired Ben Hecht to adapt the novel. Lydia Schiller initially joined Selznick and Hecht to work on drafts, but Selznick had a more 165

166

Jennifer Jones

important task for Schiller: to convince John Huston to direct the film. Her powers of persuasion worked and Huston perused the final draft.2 He didn’t care for the script and felt Selznick and Hecht had gone too far in diluting Hemingway’s original story. After much heated discussion, Huston backed down and appeared to agree to the final draft. But deep reservations remained.3 Prior to filming, Jones confessed to gossip columnist Hedda Hopper that, “A Farewell to Arms is going to be a challenge. It’s a great love story. The public seem to long for them. David and I are both Hemingway fans and passionately fond of this story.”4

Jones as British Red Cross Nurse Catherine Barkley in A Farewell to Arms (1957).

21. A Farewell to Arms

167

But the casting of Jones presented problems. She was approaching forty when filming began but was cast in the role of a twenty-four-year-old. Selznick was in denial concerning his own wife’s advancing years. She had recently turned down a role in a film adaptation of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, another one of the bad decisions that were being made at the time. Huston disliked Hecht’s screenplay primarily because he had turned Hemingway’s story into a star vehicle for Jones. “No one had a higher regard for Jennifer than I did. I have great admiration for her talents and liked her enormously,” remarked Huston.5 But the fact Selznick was tampering with Hemingway’s story to showcase his wife didn’t sit well with Huston. In his book The Good Life According to Hemingway, A. E. Hotchner, a close friend of Hemingway, recalled that Selznick offered Hemingway a $50,000 share of any profits. Hemingway’s dismissive telegram summed up his feelings about the film: If by some miracle your movie, which stars forty-one-year-old Mrs. Selznick portraying twenty-four-year-old Catherine Barkley, does earn $50,000, you should have all the $50,000 changed into nickels at your local bank and shove them up your ass until they come out of your ears.... [Y]ou write a book ... you’re fond of over the years, then see what happens to it, it’s like pissing in your father‘s beer.6

Huston also expressed his concerns with the casting of Rock Hudson, complete with 1950s hairstyle. Huston thought he looked more like a lover than a soldier. Hudson was living a double life. On screen he was a sex symbol beloved by his female fans — always rugged, strong and heterosexual. In private life he was a gay man in times when being gay would mark the end of your career if it were made public. Huston worked with Hecht on the screenplay, scouted for locations in the mountains of Italy and began rehearsing scenes between Jones and Hudson. But he never shot any footage. Huston and Selznick renewed their hostilities over the script and casting. Selznick felt himself being challenged by Huston’s insistence on following Hemingway’s novel too literally. “We are making a motion picture and not photographing Hemingway’s book like slaves,” announced Selznick. Huston in turn felt his creative freedom was being compromised. He was too experienced a director to take instructions and made life hard for Selznick with his indecisive manner. Selznick reminded Huston he was paying him $250,000 for his services and it was his job to make a picture instead of being entitled “to the privileges of an artist with an investment. You are obliged to do a job....” Selznick’s scathing sixteen-page typewritten memo, delivered by hand to Huston by production manager Arthur Fellows, marked the end of Huston’s

168

Jennifer Jones

involvement on the film: On March 21, 1957, he quit. Selznick’s artistic conflicts with Huston were a result of Selznick’s uncompromising nature that also resulted in George Cukor quitting Gone with the Wind and King Vidor quitting Duel in the Sun. “If this picture is going to fail, it must fail on my mistakes, not yours,” said Selznick. “I have learned that nothing matters but the final picture.” Explaining the reasons for Huston’s departure, Selznick was quoted as saying: “I hired Mr. Huston to direct the picture but after numerous delays because of his suggestions I found he was trying to be more than a director. I have great respect for Mr. Huston but after all I have to produce my own pictures.”7 Rumors of a rift between Jones and Huston were denied by Selznick who said: “I consider them foolish.” Huston’s replacement, Charles Vidor, also put up with interference from Selznick but was relieved to be removed from face-to-face contact with Selznick while he filmed on location throughout Italy. But while Selznick had considered Huston’s approach too literal to Hemingway’s book, he considered Vidor was deviating too far from the novel. Jones didn’t care for Vidor and Vidor didn’t care for Jones. It made for a difficult shoot. Jones felt that Vidor’s direction was missing the passion between Catherine and Henry. Vidor preferred a psychological approach to their relationship. Jones discussed this with Selznick, who wrote a memo advising Vidor to listen to the input of Jones and let her play a scene before imposing his directions on her. Hudson thought Selznick’s working methods and personal intensity served to add fuel to the already tense atmosphere. In an interview with Gordon Gow for Films and Filming magazine, Hudson stated, “This dynamo of a man was in constant confusion.... He was such an intense man that it never occurred to him to say good morning.... He wanted everything better than perfect.”8 Hudson also found filming conditions less than desirable when he spoke to Associated Press writer Gene Handsaker in March 1959: The Rome weather was hot, the sound stage unbearable. The sprinklers were turned on to simulate rain and it was like a steam bath. I wore a tight wool uniform with a stiff collar; Jennifer a starched nurse’s uniform with a stiff collar. The perspiration poured off us. Tempers got short. I couldn’t have felt less like making love.9

The tension climaxed in August when Selznick and Arthur Fellows clashed over the scene where Catherine and Frederic escape to Switzerland under the cover of twilight. With cameras and crew ready to film the scene, Jones was nowhere in sight. Twilight passed and the scene was lost. Jones finally arrived but Fellows was furious with Selznick for not getting his wife to the location on time. Selznick reacted with a slap to Fellows’ face. Fellows

21. A Farewell to Arms

169

responded with a punch, smashing Selznick’s glasses. Fellows’ action foreshadowed future events for Selznick.10 (Scenario assistant Lydia Schiller later claimed that Selznick did not hit Fellows. “He wasn’t a physical man at all.”) In August 1957, the cast and crew returned to Hollywood to film interiors at 20th Century–Fox. James Wong Howe assumed directorial duties. The film was previewed on November 18 in Burlingame, California, to a generally good reaction. No expense was spared for the Los Angeles premiere on December 19, 1957, with all the stars turning up for the gala event. The London premiere was equally high-profile with Princess Margaret in attendance. But the glitz and glamour was tempered by bad reviews and the audience gradually fell away when the film went on general release on January 24, 1958. Ivan Spear of Box Office (December 21, 1957) was impressed with the performances, calling Hudson “virile and superbly convincing” and Jones “comparably praiseworthy.” With movie audiences dwindling, Spears knew the value of attracting “the younger generation” and he highlighted the film’s subject matter of “illicit love and illegitimate birth” and the use of the word “whore” in advertising. He commented that opposition to the film “from parents and pulpit and the forbidden-fruit psychology will make the teenagers ... all the more eager to see the feature. And will bring just so much more grist to its box office mill.” Spear concluded: ‘In a Tradition of Quality’ is the slogan that David O. Selznick has for many years applied to his product. His version of A Farewell to Arms will add luster to that proud hallmark.” The New York Times ( January 25, 1958) film critic wasn’t impressed: Mr. Selznick’s picture lacks that all-important awareness of the inescapable presence and pressure of war.... As a pure romance, too, it has shortcomings. The essential excitement of a violent love is strangely missing in the studied performances.... Mr. Hudson is most noticeable unbending, as if he were cautious and shy, but Miss Jones plays the famous Catherine Barkley with bewildering nervous moves and grimaces. The show of devotion between two people is intensely acted, not realized. It is questionable, indeed, whether Mr. Hudson and Miss Jones have the right personalities for these roles.

The “Louella Parsons in Hollywood” syndicated column provided a rare positive review of the film: There’s a tender love story with Jennifer Jones at her best in a death scene unsurpassed in motion pictures.... Charles Vidor’s direction should satisfy even that hard taskmaster and perfectionist, Mr. David O. Selznick — it’s that’s good.

Variety (1957) reported: [It] conveys some of the Hemingway spirit that speaks of the futility of war and a desperate love that grips two strangers in its midst. But sweep and frankness alone don’t make a great picture; and Farewell suffers from an overdose of both.... It’s the more unfortunate that Ben Hecht’s often mature dialog is also

170

Jennifer Jones

riddled with clichés, and that the relationship between Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones never takes on real dimensions.... Such a tragic story requires great performances to put it across. It gets only a few of them in this picture.

A Farewell to Arms suffers from Vidor’s mundane direction of the war scenes which fail to convey the grim reality of war. The Milan hospital is almost devoid of other patients, with shots of sterile empty corridors as Henry and Catherine make love behind closed doors. When they escape to Switzerland, Henry resembles a 1950s fashion model with his fine head of hair and patterned sweater. But the major flaw is the casting of Jones as “young Catherine.” The soft-focus photography only serves to highlight the fact she cannot pass for a woman in her twenties. Jones’ performance includes an English accent that is never convincing and for most of the film is notably absent. Love scenes with Hudson are overplayed and the romance forced. However, Jones is convincing in her final scenes which are handled with restraint and sensitivity. The lingering image of Catherine Barkley’s immobile face conveys the grim finality of death in a manner that Vidor failed to capture with his war scenes. In a letter to Wallace Meyer dated May 24, 1957, Hemingway expressed his frustration with the film and Selznick: ... that bastard Selznick sabotaging A Farewell to Arms (he’s rewritten the love story with Ben Hecht). They have rewritten it all.... [I] was happy with John Huston’s adaptation before Huston gave up on Selznick.... Selznick — he says has written a love story that is a love story, not just followed slavishly some screwy thing by me. It makes you pretty sick....

Actually, Selznick and Hecht did retain many scenes from the novel. Catherine Barkley’s dread of the rain is a constant motif throughout the film. Catherine gloomily remarks, “I’m afraid of the rain because sometimes I see me dead in it.” The first film version of Hemingway’s novel was criticized for “too much sentiment and not enough strength” by Mordaunt Hall of the New York Times (December 9, 1932). The criticism remains valid for the 1958 version. But when New York Times critic Bosley Crowther ( January 25, 1958) commented “Throughout, the ominous note of doom is missing...,” he appeared to have missed the film’s continuing rain motif. Vittorio De Sica was Oscar nominated as Best Supporting Actor. He failed to win, but his performance as Major Rinaldi remains in the memory long after the forced romanticism evident in many scenes has faded. Following the unfavorable reviews, Selznick declared that various segments of the press hated him — the Communist press because he wouldn’t use Communist labor on the picture and the fascist, neo-fascist and monarchist press

21. A Farewell to Arms

“because they thought the story reflected ill on the government’s conduct of World War I.” He then blamed Italy’s lack of moviemaking know-how for his production troubles and stated: “Our production facilities are far superior in Hollywood.” Selznick told reporter Bob Thomas of a scene that had to be shot in the Warner Brothers tank in Hollywood. The Italians had proposed creating waves in a rowboat scene featuring Jones and Hudson with “a hundred men armed with barrels.” Selznick opted for “one automatic wavemaking machine” to create the storm.11 A Farewell to Arms was a major disappointment and a personal and professional failure for both Selznick and Jones. It was time for Selznick to exit the scene in a mood of resignation over the hard truth that he was out of touch with the changing tastes of filmgoers. Following the critical failure of A Farewell to Arms, Lee Strasberg gave Jones private acting lessons and she continued in deep psychoanalysis with Dr. C.A. Meier in Zurich, Switzerland. During her time in Europe, Jones was joined by her husband and daughter for a visit to Lourdes.12 She would finally see the real-life site of Bernadette’s visions of the Lady. The journey to Lourdes must have reminded Jones of her own personal journey since she made The Song of Bernadette in 1943. All these years later in July, 1959 her film career had come full circle and she was searching for suitable projects. The momentum that began with The Song of Bernadette had finally burnt out and it would be another three years before she appeared on the screen again.

171

The theatrical poster for A Farewell to Arms.

22 Tender Is the Night She walked to a rhythm — all that week there had been singing in her ears, summer songs of ardent skies and wild shade... — F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender Is the Night (1934)

F. Scott Fitzgerald began work on his novel Tender Is the Night in the summer of 1925 while living on the French Riviera. It was serialized in four parts in Scribner’s Magazine before publication of the novel in spring 1934. But to Fitzgerald’s dismay, sales were disappointing and critical reviews mixed, with many dismissing the novel. In subsequent editions, Fitzgerald revised the sequence of events, moving the chapters in the Zurich clinic case history to the beginning of the book and Dick Diver’s encounter with Rosemary Hoyt to Book II. When Selznick bought the screen rights to the novel, he preferred to film the original version in keeping with the opinions of many commentators who felt that Fitzgerald upset the balance of his novel with his later revisions. Selznick first expressed interest in a film adaptation of the novel in June 1951; he rejected the proposed teaming of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier because he had promised the female lead to Jennifer Jones. One month later he proposed pairing Cary Grant and Jones, with George Cukor as director, to RKO producers Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna. Grant thought the lead character not suitable for his talents and backed out, leaving the film in limbo.1 Following A Farewell to Arms (1957), Selznick became interested in Tender Is the Night once again. Twentieth Century–Fox president Spyros Skouras assigned producer Henry T. Weinstein to the project with the understanding that Selznick provide Jones and a working script. Fox was suffering financial woes due to an ever-increasing budget on Cleopatra, and Tender Is the Night was low on their list of priorities. In January 1959, Jones had expressed her desire to work with William Holden in the film but Selznick considered him too square to play a neurotic 172

22. Tender Is the Night

173

type. He suggested Henry Fonda because, according to Selznick, Fonda could display a sense of weakness and sensitivity lacking in Holden’s acting. Second choice would be Robert Mitchum followed by Gregory Peck and Montgomery Clift. Selznick also mentioned stage actor Christopher Plummer, “[who] has never failed to impress me....” Recommendations to cast Jason Robards, Jr., failed to excite Selznick, who found him to be “unprepossessing physically for Dick Diver.”2 Following Henry King’s work on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Beloved Infidel (1959) starring Gregory Peck as Fitzgerald and Deborah Kerr as Sheilah Graham, King was considered a natural choice for Tender Is the Night. Both Selznick and Skouras were in agreement and King accepted. Location filming began on May 9, 1961, in Paris then moved to Zurich, Switzerland. Jennifer was ill at ease despite one of her favorite directors (King) at the helm. The critical and box-office failure of A Farewell to Arms had affected her confidence as an actress. She said, “There were moments when I thought I should find another function in life, that I was finished as an actress.... I was rusty and needed to be sent in for repairs. I’m exploring new ways of working. I feel this picture will be a turning point in my career. I may be devastated if it doesn’t work.”3 Selznick was once again sending memos that only served to undermine the morale of cast and crew. Friction between King and Selznick was tempered by Jones, who always had a good understanding of King, going back to her official screen debut on The Song of Bernadette (1943). Born January 24, 1896, in Christiansburg, Virginia, King began his career as an actor in silents. After failing to impress, King retired from acting in 1920 and turned to directing for Mutual, Pathe, Inspiration Pictures, Paramount, Goldwyn and United Artists before joining Fox in 1930. His work with Fox would define his career and reputation over the next thirty years. The merging of 20th Century with Fox in 1935 saw the start of King’s long relationship with Darryl F. Zanuck and the emergence of his true talents as a director. Tyrone Power was featured in eleven King films in 1936 and 1937. Other stars that King worked with more than once included Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, Alice Faye, Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward and Jones. King was known as a perfectionist who would spend time setting up a shot and filming it again and again until he was satisfied. But the communication wasn’t always a one-way street and King would be willing to listen to ideas from his actors. He was a man who demanded respect without being dictatorial. He understood actors because he was once an actor himself and often showed the actor what he wanted by acting out the scene himself. He put actors at ease with praise and helped reduce the stress for temperamental actors such as Jones.

174

Jennifer Jones

In the opening Tender Is the Night scenes we are first introduced to Nicole Diver on the beaches of the French Riviera. It soon becomes obvious she is an insecure, neurotic and possessive woman as she watches her husband Dr. Richard Diver ( Jason Robards, Jr.) invite young starlet Rosemary Hoyt ( Jill St. John) to a Fourth of July party at their Villa Diana home. When the story shifts from present to past, the back story of Nicole is revealed as we see psychiatrist Richard Diver treating her for schizophrenia at a Zurich sanatorium. Her troubles seem to be the result of her late father’s incest and subsequent suicide. Dr. Driver falls in love with Nicole but understands the dangers of a doctor-patient relationship. However, fate draws them together following her discharge and they declare their love for each other. Soon their marriage and life on the French Riviera is under strain as Diver tires of the continual partying and expresses his desire to resume his career in Zurich. With his wife on the road to complete recovery, Diver finds himself under greater pressure as his practice in Zurich fails and the young actress Rosemary Hoyt, who once found him attractive, rejects him. A growing

In Tender Is the Night (1962), Dick Diver (Jason Robards, Jr.) attempts to understand his increasingly distant wife Nicole (Jones).

22. Tender Is the Night

175

dependency on alcohol (and suggested impotence) add to his problems as his marriage falls apart. Jones and Robards run the gamut of emotions in this psychological tale of the vacuous nature of the upper class party set. Joan Fontaine also delivers a strong performance as Nicole’s manipulative, self-serving sister. Fine location photography (the French Riviera and Zurich) gives credibility to a story that relies on coincidence to move it forward. The story shifts focus to such an extent that the problems of Nicole are never explored in any detail but merely shoved to the background as Richard takes center stage for the second half. The reversal of the transference of the doctor-patient relationship and the resulting shift of empowerment from husband to wife upsets the fine balance holding the marriage together. Jones ordered the studio to employ hair stylist George Masters at $900 per week. On her return to Hollywood, Masters was unable to work with Jones due to union rules, resulting in Masters giving orders to the union hairdresser on how to style Jones’ hair. Masters labeled her hairstyle “a good example of the little European boy look — hair down over one eye brow and tapered back to reveal the lines of the head.”4 While Jones was telling reporters that her husband took good care of his actors, other former Selznick contract players weren’t as gracious. In her autobiography Bed of Roses, Joan Fontaine highlighted Selznick’s constraints of the exclusive seven-year contract, that ensured Selznick receive “huge profits” loaning out his stars to other studios. When Fontaine refused to be loaned to Paramount for Frenchman’s Creek (1944), Selznick began a smear campaign in the press against his own contract player. Fontaine was harassed by lawyers and agents until she agreed to appear in the film. Diplomacy and democracy did not appear to be a part of Selznick’s vocabulary.5 According to Fontaine, in Zurich Jones discussed her scenes by phone with Selznick and in person with her acting coach and constant companion Paula Strasberg. Fontaine often grew tired of waiting in her small, portable dressing room while Jones attempted to come to some agreement with Selznick and Strasberg in her large dressing room, surrounded by fresh flowers. “Talented, charming Jennifer was the most insecure actress I ever worked with. Despite her Academy Award for Song of Bernadette, I felt that acting was a torture to her,” Fontaine concluded.6 “Behind the Scenes” syndicated columnist Harrison Carroll reported from the set of Tender Is the Night in August 1961. Henry King was filming the New Year’s Eve scene featuring Jones, Robards, Fontaine and Tom Ewell as they celebrate the New Year of 1923: “Let’s see if we can get the New Year’s over before lunch,” shouted Henry King. First assistant director Eli Dunn calls the sixty extras to take their posi-

176

Jennifer Jones

tions at tables and on the dance floor. Nora Evans sings “I’m Nobody’s Baby” to the accompaniment of Orrin Tucker’s orchestra. Jason Robards dances cheek-tocheek with Jennifer Jones and they kiss. “Happy New Year, darling.” “Cut! The celebration is over,” exclaims King.7

Jones received favorable reviews for her performance following the premiere in New York City on January 19, 1962. Variety (1962) commented: A combination of attractive, intelligent performances and consistently interesting, DeLuxe colorful photography of interiors and exteriors — mostly the French Riviera — provide big plus qualities in this 20th–Fox adaptation of Tender Is the Night. This may not be a 100 proof distillation of F. Scott Fitzgerald but Tender Is the Night is nonetheless on its own filmic terms a thoughtful, disturbing and at times absorbing romantic drama.... Jones emerges a crisply fresh, intriguing personality and creates a striking character as the schizophrenic Nicole.

The New York Times ( January 20, 1962) remarked: Again an array of gorgeous settings ... becomes the eventual fascination in a film that slowly lets slip its dramatic momentum and credibility in interminable “two-scenes” and talk.... The deflation is all the more distressing because the picture gets under way with a good deal of intellectual tension and emotional expansiveness.... Jennifer Jones is quite proficient as the mercurial Nicole, proceeding from a state of mental anguish to one of rigid and heartless self-control. Through the various steps in this progression, she rings all the changes, pulls all the stops. She is a nervous young woman, a fresh romantic, a glittering flapper, a taut and jealous wife, and finally a stern and stubborn woman who, for some reason, fails her man.

Bob Thomas stated in his “From Hollywood” column in 1962: Miss Jones is back to the glory she first exhibited in Song of Bernadette. After a couple of false starts, Jason Robards, Jr., proves he can be as great on the screen as he has been on the stage.... Director Henry King ... proves Hollywood’s old wave can still pack a punch. The screenplay by Ivan Moffat is a marvel, building one scene after another of meaningful drama.

Hedda Hopper also expressed her liking for the film in her syndicated “Hedda’s Hollywood” column: I’ve always been a Fitzgerald fan and of all of his works I like this one the best. The girl is a colorful character and there are so few left. I’ve always loved the period of the twenties.

Tender Is the Night was Oscar-nominated in the Best Music: Original Song category, but Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster lost to Henry Mancini for Days of Wine and Roses. Despite the praise of critics and the Oscar nomination, Tender Is the Night was a box office failure. Disputes over the direction of the script resulted

22. Tender Is the Night

177

in Selznick having the final say and ordering footage cut from the final print. Selznick’s editorial control ultimately worked against him as the film proved to be the final work of both Selznick and King. Selznick was frustrated with what he considered falling standards in Hollywood, saying, “I regret the new evidence of the complete passing of showmanship from the industry, as well as the new attitude of indifference to promises.” Selznick had wanted to cast Jane Fonda as Rosemary Hoyt. The fact she had been willing to test for the role but was ignored gave credence to Selznick’s argument of the falling standard of casting directors. He was also unhappy with the casting of Robards, Ewell and Sanford Meisner and he felt that Bernard Herrmann’s music score failed to convey any sense of nostalgia. He initially recommended Dimitri Tiomkin (because of Tiomkin’s knowledge of music of the 1920s), with Alfred Newman as second choice. According to Selznick, even the title sequence was “a disgrace” and the constant looping of scenes that didn’t require looping added to his sense of dismay with the state of Hollywood film production in the early 1960s. He knew it was time to retreat from the industry. Creativity was being replaced

In Tender Is the Night (1962), Nicole Diver (Jones, center) parties on the French Riviera with Rosemary Hoyt (Jill St. John) and Tommy Barban (Cesare Danova).

178

Jennifer Jones

by “businessmen on the east coast” who knew “nothing whatsoever about the creation of a script or the vitally important post-shooting phases of production....”8 Jones was equally dismissive of the film when she said, “As far as I’m concerned, Tender Is the Night was never made.”9

Theatrical poster art for Tender Is the Night.

22. Tender Is the Night

179

Selznick suffered his first heart attack in Mexico City on February 22, 1961. Another mild attack followed in St. Moritz in December 1962. Other more serious attacks ensued, including one on his birthday, May 10, 1964. On June 22, 1965, he complained of feeling faint during a meeting with his attorney Barry Brannen in Beverly Hills. At 2:22 P.M. he passed away from a coronary occlusion at Cedars of Sinai Hospital. He was 63 years old. True to form, Selznick left instructions for his own funeral in a memo that stated that he wanted a rabbi to conduct his funeral because “I am a Jew.” His preferred choice of speaker was Joseph Cotten (because he had “a good voice”) and he wanted the proceedings to be brief.10 His funeral took place on June 25 at the Church of the Recessional at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, with Rabbi Max N. Nussbaum leading the memorial service. Attendees included Cotten, Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Louis Jourdan, Samuel Goldwyn, Christopher Isherwood, Sam Spiegel and George Cukor. Former wife Irene Mayer stayed away but Katharine Hepburn attended at her request. It proved to be a difficult time for Jones, who discovered that her late husband’s estate was in the red. Assets would need to be sold to pay off his debts, leaving Jones with approximately one million dollars.11 Despite having her family and friends for support, she felt adrift and alone. Jones had been the creation of her late husband. Without his support and guidance, the insecurities of a young girl named Phylis Isley surfaced once again.

23 The Idol He raised his face to her, and she drew him to her and kissed his mouth, clinging to him. And very soon they came to that other destination, where they hadn’t been before. Together, anyhow. — Frances Rickett, The Idol (1966)

When Jennifer Jones received an original screenplay by Italian writer Ugo Liberatore from producer Carlo Ponti, she was intrigued. The motherson relationship had psychological overtones that fascinated Jones, although she had serious reservations when it was suggested she play opposite her reallife son Robert Walker, Jr., Sophia Loren had originally been considered for an Italian production, but when Joseph E. Levine had the Italian story adapted to English by Millard Lampell, Levine cast Kim Stanley in the role of Carol. When Stanley arrived in London for filming, it was obvious she was ill and unable to continue when her face broke out into a rash. Producer Leonard Lightstone had three days to find a replacement and fly her to London. Jeanne Crain turned down the role, stating, “I have children that age.” Jones read the script and immediately had a flight booked to London. “I liked the new script very much. Also it caught me at the right moment — a moment for flight. Everything combined to make it a desirable thing to do. So here I am.”1 Columnist Robert Osborne recalled Joseph Cotten’s personal account of events: Joseph Cotten was at dinner one evening with Jennifer Jones when she told him she was off to Europe the next day to film The Idol. “When did that happen?” Cotten asked her, saying, “We were just together last Sunday and you said you had no plans.” Jennifer told him the producers had called her just that morning saying that Kim Stanley had suddenly dropped out of the movie and asked if Jennifer might consider doing the part and, if so, they would send her the script to help her make a final decision. 180

23. The Idol

181

But Jennifer had told them “Yes, I’ll do it” on the spot because, she said to Cotten, “When David was alive, he always spent months and months of negotiations, writing memos and setting up the deal.” She told Cotten, “For once in my life I wanted to say ‘yes’ to something immediately and just go do it.”2

Jones talked about her role from her dressing bungalow at Paramount in London in November 1965: This part now is that of a woman who, left alone with a son to raise, has so little control over herself that she gets mixed up with his best friend. It’s much more challenging and satisfying than some of the giddy-young-girl parts I’ve played. I must admit I was really choosy about the roles I’d accept in films. But since David’s gone ... I’m willing to take any type of part a competent director with a good script thinks I can handle.

Jones prepared for her role by reading The Parental Image: Its Injury and Reconstruction by M. Esther Harding and Fantasia of the Unconscious by D. H. Lawrence.3 Carol Ainslee ( Jones), an American divorcee, is ambitious for her son Timothy ( John Leyton) to succeed in London society as a respected doctor, but Timothy plans on being an artist. His friendship with the passionate and rebellious American artist Marco (Michael Parks) is the cause of conflict for both Timothy and his mother, who initially despises Marco. But her hatred is mingled with a deep fascination for the young man and she finds herself drawn to him against her better judgment. His arrogance is offset by his handsome features and dangerous manner. Her son idolizes him to the point of unhealthy obsession, but Carol desires Marco for herself even if their affair destroys her son. Marco’s friendship with Timothy extends to sharing the affections of his girlfriend Sarah ( Jennifer Hilary) who leaves Timothy to live with Marco. But the restless Marco soon tires of Sarah and sets his eyes on Timothy’s mother with tragic results. The blurb that accompanied the novelization of the film by Frances Rickett stated: “A novel with the firepower of Room at the Top— of a man who was an idol beyond all honor, and the woman who loved him beyond all decency.” Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times (September 3, 1966) said the film had a “hackneyed plot and useless violence” and was “one of those disagreeable British productions in the current tell-all mode.... [I]t falls between art-house pretensions and soap.” Life (September 16, 1966) stated: The Idol is as false in its total blackness as that of a Doris Day comedy is in its total sunniness. What is wanted, of course, is a balance of moral forces, for only from such a balance can sensible dramatic tension develop.

Jennifer Jones

182

In The Idol (1966), Carol (Jones) and her son Timothy (John Leyton) talk on the church steps while Marco (Michael Parks) chats with Timothy’s girlfriend Sarah (Jennifer Hilary).

Westways (Vol. 58, 1966) remarked: The Idol which features Michael Parks and Jennifer Jones among other uninspired players is a sick, sick picture.

Variety (1966) commented: Leonard Lightstone has given impressive physical backing to his production, capturing the feeling of London ... but characters lack much interest. Daniel Petrie’s direction registers as well as script will allow and cast performs satisfactorily.

The New York Times (August 11, 1966) had harsh words for Michael Parks: Both Miss Jones, as a fortyish American-born divorcee, and young John Leyton, as her 17-year-old son, give workmanlike performances. Unfortunately, the general viewpoint and most of the footage go to Mr. Parks, who has elected, or been encouraged, to play the distasteful seducer like a caricature of the late James Dean, whom he resembles. The seduction scene, played with tasteful skill by both Miss Jones and Mr. Parks and excellently piloted by Mr. Petrie, is the most honest thing, about the film — and its only excuse for being.

23. The Idol

183

Carol ( Jones) becomes involved in a destructive affair with Marco (Michael Parks).

Time (August 19, 1966) commented: Actress Jones plays her from the start as a very turned-on lady. Jennifer, now 47, even goes at her gardening with a provocative air, tugging at her blouse front while she breathlessly inquires of her son’s pal: “Ever been to Corsica? The sun beats on you like a hammer ... delicious, frightening.” Her ultimate surrender proceeds, posture by posture, through moments of squeamish abandon on a dance floor to a New Year’s Eve when she sweeps downstairs in a feathery ball dress to find the narrow-hipped ne’er-do-well listening to Vivaldi. Somehow, he senses that she has never felt like a real woman.

Jacob Siskind writing for the Montreal Gazette (October 15, 1966) stated: Michael Parks is perfectly suited to the role of the artist. John Leyton and Jennifer Jones are excellent as the friend and his mother.... Daniel Petrie has directed his actors unobtrusively, and with the exception of a few precious moments the photography is unexceptionable. Catch this film early. I suspect that it will not win wide public acclaim. It is too close to the truth.

Jones’ choice for her first film following the death of Selznick proved to be misguided. The Idol was a box-office failure and soon disappeared from the theater circuit. With her career in trouble, she was in danger of joining a long line of unemployable aging film stars.

184

Jennifer Jones

In July 1967 Jones made a rare public appearance at the Moscow Film Festival with fellow actresses Sandy Dennis and Sandra Dee. They were accompanied by Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America and husband of Dennis, whose film Up the Down Staircase (1967), about the problems of an inner-city English teacher in New York, was the American entry. As 1967 progressed and film projects failed to materialize, Jones was experiencing a loss of direction in both her professional and personal life. On November 9, 1967, she came within minutes of death by suicide. The trigger that resulted in her suicidal mood was the news of the death of her friend and fellow actor Charles Bickford from a blood infection. He had suffered from emphysema in his later years but was enjoying success on the television series The Virginian as Shiloh Ranch owner John Grainger. His relationship with Jones began on The Song of Bernadette (1943) and she looked to him as a father figure and mentor. Following the death of her husband a few years earlier, the loss of Bickford affected her deeply. Her career was floundering and those she could turn to for advice were no longer around. Maybe it was time to check out herself, to leave all her worries behind her. Those thoughts must have played a part later that evening as she drove from her Bel Air home. After registering at a motel as Phylis Walker, she walked to a phone booth and called her physician William Molley to tell him she had taken some pills and intended to take more and jump off the bluff The 1966 paperback novel of The Idol by Frances Rickett based on the screenplay by known as Point Dume. It was Millard Lampell. less than an hour after hearing of

23. The Idol

185

the death of Bickford. Returning to her 1968 Mercedes convertible, Jones drove toward Point Dume on the Malibu Coast overlooking Santa Monica Bay. At some point during the evening Jones swallowed the remaining Seconal pills with champagne. Seconal (the brand name for secobarbital) was a barbiturate commonly prescribed for insomnia, and often misused as a recreational drug under the nickname “red devils.” Jones then walked down the winding road from the 440-foot cliff to the beach, placed down her sweater and shoes and walked toward the sea and collapsed. Molley had meanwhile notified the police, who discovered her automobile 20 minutes after sending out patrols to scan the beach area. “We walked through a fence, across a weed-covered field and followed the winding path down the cliff,” said Deputy Eldon Loken. Deputies Paul Piet and Loken found Jones sprawled across surf-covered rocks and checked for a heartbeat before applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. “She was bruised and soaking wet with the surf pounding over her. We thought she was dead,” said Deputy Loken. “When I turned her over to pump water from her I heard a heartbeat through her back.”4 After three tense minutes Jones showed signs of life and was taken to Malibu Emergency Hospital where she had her stomach pumped. It contained Seconal and alcohol. She was then transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital were she regained consciousness six hours after admission. “She was not breathing at all when she was found ... there were no signs of life and her eyes were open,” reported a spokesman for the sheriff ’s apartment.5 Associated Press coverage initially blamed her near death state on an accident; headlines read, “Jennifer Jones recovers after fall down cliff.”6 These reports were later dismissed as it was confirmed that Jones walked toward the sea and collapsed. Initially her condition was reported as “guarded” following the pumping of her stomach. Three days later, on Sunday evening, Jones was released in “excellent condition”7and returned home. If Jones had been discovered by the police five minutes later, her life would have ended that evening in the surf and rocks at Point Dume.

24 Angel, Angel, Down We Go I made thirty stag films and never faked an orgasm. — Astrid Steele

Yale graduate Robert Thom had a distinguished start on his film and television career, winning an Emmy for a two-part episode of the television series The Defenders in 1962. Wild in the Streets (1968) was an adaptation of his own story “The Day It All Happened Baby,” first published in Esquire magazine. It was a continuation of his fascination with the counterculture movement that began with his film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s The Subterraneans in 1960. Following the dismal box office flop The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968), his next project was an adaptation of his 1961 play Angel, Angel, Down We Go which he described at the time as a “far-out version of the Green Hat kind of play about a wild girl heading for destruction ... a present-day type of F. Scott Fitzgerald heroine.”1 In August 1968, Dorothy Manners reported in her newspaper column “Off the Grapevine” that producer Sam Katzman was pursuing Ava Gardner for the role that eventually went to Jennifer Jones.2 Filming began February 18, 1969, at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios with location work in Malibu, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Holly Near, a star of musical comedy roles and a UCLA television production of The Magi, was chosen from over fifty girls for the role of Tara Nicole Steele. She was asked to gain twenty pounds to portray the overweight Tara but only managed to gain five.3 Jordan Christopher, who was best known at the time for his marriage to Sybil Burton, the former wife of Richard Burton, had a background in rock music with his band The Wild Ones.4 His singing skills would be required in his role as the charismatic but amoral rock star Bogart Peter Stuyvesant. From the film’s opening scene where we hear Tarzan’s famous jungle call 186

24. Angel, Angel, Down We Go

187

The cold and uncaring Astrid Steele (Jones) shares a meal with her daughter Tara Nicole (Joan Calhoun) in Angel, Angel, Down We Go (1969).

and the camera pans to two naked men sharing a shower, we know the film isn’t going to be conservative or politically correct. Tara (Near) is in denial about her own parents and prefers to think of her bisexual father as “Beau Brummell” and her ex-porn star mother Astrid ( Jones) as “Cinderella.” Tara is an unloved, neglected and obese child who grows into a young adult with an overwhelming desire to lose her virginity to any male who will have her. Even as she fantasizes about being “a fairy princess,” she makes a half-hearted attempt at slashing her wrist and admits that she is “fat and dopey.” When her mother throws a party, Tara is sexually aroused by the singer on stage with tight black leather pants and a provocative gyrating body. Tara finally loses her virginity to the singer Stuyvesant (Christopher) as he makes love to her with the words, “Your breath stinks. I dig it.” Fantasy images of Humphrey Bogart, machine guns, slaughter, blood and sausages accompany the sex. The bizarre proceedings continue with Stuyvesant introducing Tara to his group of friends and singing “The Fat Song” as she dances alone to the

188

Jennifer Jones

music. More sex with Stuyvesant results in baffling graphic imagery of Tara’s mother with blood pouring from her eyes and mouth and, in one depiction, with her eyes gouged out and dying. When Stuyvesant and his group stay at Astrid’s home, she develops a strange fascination with her daughter’s lover, who then proceeds to manipulate and play with Astrid’s affections. Astrid, a hard-hearted, cynical former star of “stag films,” washes down tranquilizers with Bloody Marys for breakfast. When Stuyvesant asks Astrid how she managed to have sex with so many men, she comments, “Just a born Communist, I suppose. I shared the wealth.” The film creates a surreal landscape, mixing sex with a reality that is just as bizarre. Tara finds herself stuck to the ceiling, crying about being unloved, while her boyfriend is having sex with her mother. Jones shocks her fans with a role that supplies an array of memorable but outrageous lines, with mention of orgasms and politically incorrect references to her daughter as “a fat girl idiot” and “retarded.” The self-mocking tone of the film extends to Roddy McDowall as Santro who, when questioned about his sexuality, responds. “Sometimes I can just stare at a carrot and that carrot can turn me on.” The conclusion of the film, which sees Astrid freefalling to her death, fails because it serves as a weak device to resolve conflict. The stars of the film were dismissive of it after its release, with Lou Rawls describing the story as “out to lunch.” Jordan Christopher commented, “It gets things out in the open, things that too often remain hidden. It’s like picking up a flat stone and finding all the black, wriggly things underneath.” Christopher admitted the film was “pretty bad.”5 The film was re-released as Cult of the Damned in the U.S. and dismissed by both the public and critics. The Los Angeles Times called the film “a terrible piece of trash.” New York Magazine film critic Judith Crist (February 15, 1971) commented that the Cult of the Damned was: a piece of perversion ... despite the presence of Jennifer Jones as a mommy who joins her daughter in the course of what the ad describes as “drugs, thugs and freaked-out starlets, ritual murder and cannibalism.” Holly Near ... is the only non-vomitous element in this mess....

A. H. Weiler of The New York Times (February 4, 1971) stated: “Little is easy on the eyes or ears in Cult of the Damned.... It’s disjointed fare, despite a plethora of anti–Establishment remarks, that leaves little impact even on a willing viewer. Miss Jones, properly harried, says at one point; “You’re all insane.” It sounded logical at the moment.

Angel, Angel, Down We Go is rooted in the 1960s counterculture movement and should be viewed from that perspective. The role of Astrid Steele

24. Angel, Angel, Down We Go

189

may have been an outrageous choice for Jones, but she is clearly a woman set free from the self-censoring, protective limitations of a studio image. And while the film is muddled and mediocre and in places amateurish, Jones takes risks and in doing so extends the boundaries of Jennifer Jones to mock audience expectations of what has always been in effect a fabricated image. Yet another persona behind the social mask of Jones makes an appearance in the same way her public façade was shattered two years previously at Point Dume. Prior to filming, Jones stated, “I didn’t particularly miss not working. But it’s nice to be back.”6 The comment came back to bite her as she later dismissed the film and her work in it and retired from acting for the next five years. “I hope my friends will join me in not remembering the title,” declared Jones in 19747 as she prepared for work on what would prove to be her final film, The Towering Inferno.

25 The Towering Inferno Every beast has a time and place of birth. For the fire, it was late afternoon in a small room deep within one of the newer high rises that dotted the city. — Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, The Glass Inferno (1974)

In the early 1970s, producer Irwin Allen was best known to the public for his television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space and Land of the Giants. Continuing a trend that began with Airport (1969), Allen took the disaster film genre to new levels with the hugely successful The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Allen’s days of cut-price TV effects were behind him. His success on the big screen had put him into a position where he could hire major talent and employ the best special effects teams in Hollywood. He was hoping for even greater success with his latest project that transferred the destructive force scenario from water to fire. The Towering Inferno was an amalgamation of two separate novels, The Tower by Richard Martin Stern and the strikingly similar The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson. When Allen was outbid by Warner Bros. for The Tower, he optioned the outline to the book The Glass Inferno. But he soon realized that two competing films with virtually identical themes would prove disastrous, with each film eating into the profits of the other. Allen had a novel idea that had never been attempted before: Warner Bros. and Fox agreed to combine the stories into one screenplay and co-produce the film. When the news was announced on September 17, 1973, it immediately made the headlines as the first co-production between two major studios. Academy Award–winning screenwriter Stirling Silliphant was hired to write the script. Silliphant had worked with Allen on The Poseidon Adventure so Allen had faith in his abilities to create a screenplay that delivered. Jones’ return to the screen after an absence of five years might not have 190

25. The Towering Inferno

191

happened had first choice Olivia de Havilland accepted the role of Lisolette Mueller. And Jones might have worked alongside David Niven instead of Fred Astaire if Niven had been available for filming.1 The Towering Inferno began filming on May 7, 1974, following months of pre-production work that included building miniature towers (one over 100 feet high) at Fox’s Malibu Ranch. The film would be shot using four separate production units and fifty-seven sets with a budget originally set at $11 million (it eventually cost $14 million). Given the dangers of real fire, the actors were insured for $50 million. English director John Guillermin was placed in charge of drama scenes involving dialogue, Jim Freeman would direct air-to-ground scenes and Joseph F. Biroc was in charge of the action unit under the direction of Irwin Allen. L.B. Abbott was in control of the special photographic effects. As the dedication ceremony of “the tallest building in the world” approaches, architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) learns of an electrical fault in the main utility room. A confrontation with Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) about his electrical wiring work leads to further anxiety for Roberts. It becomes apparent that corners have been cut and money diverted for kickbacks. As the dedication ceremony concludes, a fire rages in the glass tower. Jim Duncan (William Holden), the builder of the tower, initially refuses to take the advice of Roberts to move the guests to the lobby as a new fire begins on the eighty-first floor storage room. Fire chief Michael O’Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) finally persuades him to take action. Various romances and affairs play out against the backdrop of the fire as wealthy widow Lisolette Mueller ( Jones) is charmed by confidence trickster Harlee Claiborne (Fred Astaire) who plans to sell fake stock certificates to Lisolette while claiming to own a villa in the South of France. While Jones only plays a supporting role, her character is involved in key scenes involving Paul Newman and the rescue of two young children trapped on the eighty-seventh floor. A ruptured gas line explodes as Lisolette, Roberts and the children descend a flight of stairs. With the metal staircase reduced to a hanging skeletal frame, Lisolette weaves her way through the fractured metal structure to safety along with the children. Carlena Gower, who played the young girl, described filming the scene and working with Jennifer Jones: She was very sweet and kind of quiet and soft-spoken. A classy, beautiful lady. She really took a liking to the actor who played my brother and myself and would spend a lot of time off camera just sitting and playing with us. That’s how we came up with the scene where we make finger puppets on the wall while waiting for the firemen to blow the blocked door to the Promenade Deck. We would sit and make these finger puppets with her off camera, so we just threw

192

Jennifer Jones

Harlee Claiborne (Fred Astaire) shares words of advice with young Angela Allbright (Carleena Gower) as Liselotte Mueller (Jones) observes in a scene that didn’t make the final cut of The Towering Inferno (1974). (Courtesy of Carlena Gower) that into the mix in the movie. She was very kind and warm-hearted and was really a neat lady. I was seven years old at the time. I filmed everything on sound stages at 20th Century–Fox under the direction of John Guillermin and Irwin Allen. Even the elevator scene where Jennifer Jones’ character fell to her death was on set. All of the fire and smoke was real. I had one fireman devoted to me for my hair and another for my body. Each of the actors had their own individual fire teams to protect them from harm. It was very well orchestrated. Paul Newman was an unbelievable man. I remember being able to see his blue eyes across the set. The stairwell scene took quite a while to film. Paul Newman jokingly got on his hands and knees and asked me to marry him. I replied, “Oh, goodness, no. You’re way too old.” I remember Jennifer Jones doing her own stunt work on the stairwell scene. I had a mad crush on Richard Chamberlain and wanted to be anywhere he was. But to me, all these famous actors were just people. We had a huge wrap party where I got to dance with Fred Astaire. He was a lovely, adorable man.2

Carlena Gower was accompanied on set by her mother Dorothy who recalled her impressions of Jones:

25. The Towering Inferno

193

When we were introduced, my first impression of Jennifer Jones was she was such a lady. So gentle and kind, compared to the other women on the set. She was definitely not a diva and she was probably the biggest female star on the set. In comparison to some of the younger stars present, it was like the difference between old and new. It was such a division as far as presentation and how they handled themselves. Jennifer Jones and the rest of the really big name stars were the most humble. They had nothing to prove. Ms. Jones was very professional and rather motherly with the two children. Carlena had a social worker and teacher on the set at all times to ensure safety. Jennifer Jones was extremely safety-conscious as far as Carlena and the boy were concerned. It was extremely pleasant and thrilling for me to meet Ms. Jones. Even at the wrap party she was extremely cordial and very nice to us. She was very open and down-to-earth but a perfectionist in her work. I was captivated with her. She was everything in person I expected from her films and she was also a little shy, reserved and soft-spoken. Ms. Jones never looked at me like I was the stage mother and shouldn’t be around her. In her role in The Towering Inferno she owned the art studio in the building

Liselotte Mueller (Jones) helps rescue Angela (Carlena Gower) and Phillip Allbright (Mike Lookinland) from danger in The Towering Inferno (1974).

194

Jennifer Jones

and was an artist. Most of the artwork used in the film was from the Norton Simon Museum Collection. When Carlena was introduced in the art shop finger painting, I recall how heavily guarded the artwork was when they brought it to the set. I got to dance a few steps with Fred Astaire at the wrap party. Carlena was involved with the film from the beginning to the first screening over an eighteen-month period of time. She had to go to school in a trailer on the 20th Century–Fox lot on Pico Boulevard, Culver City. She would film a scene for two days and be in school on the lot for the rest of the week. The crying scenes were looped. It’s more involved than many people realize. There was a fireman assigned to watch Carlena’s body and another to watch her hair. The same with Jennifer Jones and Paul Newman. Even the explosions were real. Jennifer Jones insisted on holding Carlena close and held her hands around [Carlena’s] head during the explosion of the door blocked by cement. The majority of the action sequences were one take because the sets were destroyed. When I first met Paul Newman, the first words he said were, “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be taken care of. I have one her age.” They all had doubles but Paul Newman also performed many of his own stunts. Jennifer Jones really pulled her own weight on the film as well. She performed many tasks the stunt people didn’t do for her.3

The anticipated friction between Paul Newman and Steve McQueen never developed. McQueen, who had originally been offered the part of architect Doug Roberts, preferred the role of the fire chief. Ernest Borgnine had been cast as the fire chief but moved aside to make way for McQueen.4 Newman accepted the role of Doug Roberts but not before McQueen’s character was brought to a par with Newman’s by adding extra lines. The $1 million fee with a percentage of the gross may have sweetened the temperaments of both Newman and McQueen. William Holden wasn’t happy with his billing or his character. Faye Dunaway had a habit of arriving late on set. Holden became so infuriated with her tardiness that he physically threatened her if she was late again. Jones also tired of waiting around for Dunaway and on one occasion walked off the set. The most dangerous scene took place on the Promenade Deck set which covered 11,000 square feet. Nine cameras were used to film the six exploding water tanks. The water that flooded the deck placed the actors in a certain amount of danger. Astaire admitted to being frightened by the scene; McQueen jokingly said his girlfriend Ali McGraw could have his pick-up truck if anything went wrong. The scene, filmed on a stage eleven feet above ground to allow the water to run off, was trouble-free. The original fifty-seven sets were reduced to eight by the conclusion of filming. The unique pairing paid off with The Towering Inferno grossing over $100 million and winning three Academy Awards: Best Cinematography (Fred J. Koenekamp & Joseph F. Biroc), Best Film Editing

25. The Towering Inferno

195

(Carl Kress & Harold F. Kress) and Best Song “We May Never Love Like This Again” (Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn). When asked why he thought his disaster films were so successful, Irwin Allen stated that the formula was simple: Place a group of people from diverse backgrounds, each with their own problems and back story, into a situation that threatens their lives.5 The Towering Inferno adopted that formula with great success and the film career of Jennifer Jones ended on a relatively high note. She marks her exit from The Towering Inferno and her film career falling to her death from the scenic elevator as it becomes dislodged by an explosion. Harlee is left holding her cat at the film’s conclusion as the blown water tanks kill the fire. In her “Hollywood Close-Up” column, Marilyn Beck reported: Veteran actress Jennifer Jones says she was a nervous wreck worrying about the prospect of doing a dance number with Fred Astaire.... “I’ll trip all over my feet” ... She must have done all right because Fred referred to Jennifer as “Ginger” for the rest of the day.6

Ruth Kaltenborn of the Palm Beach Daily News (December 24, 1974) commented: This just might be one of the most important films ever made — if it persuades the architects of high rise buildings and builders all over the country to work more carefully with fire chiefs before they send their towers shooting upwards.... Jennifer Jones has a warm and sympathetic part.... Once The Towering Inferno gets underway, the tension is enormous and continuous. The stars are uniformly excellent.

In the Daytona Beach Morning Journal (December 21, 1974), Drew Murphy reported: [The] photographic effects are fantastic, the acting is tolerably good, and the overall effect is impressive. And where else can you go these days to see what Jennifer Jones looks like now?

Vernon Scott of the Beaver Country Times (December 11, 1974) stated: There are enough stars in the cast to illuminate show business. The human dramas played out against the terror of fire are quickly, deftly established.... Producer Irwin Allen ... came away with the most brilliant film of its kind.... One cares about the fragile relationship between Fred Astaire and Jennifer Jones ... but the omnipresence of the monstrous fire overshadows all.

Variety (1974) remarked: The Towering Inferno is one of the greatest disaster pictures made, a personal and professional triumph for producer Irwin Allen. The $14 million cost has yielded a truly magnificent production which complements but does not at all

196

Jennifer Jones

overwhelm a thoughtful personal drama. The strategy of casting expensive talent pays off handsomely.

The stars of the film are the glass tower and the destructive fires. The actors are secondary but remain impressive, particularly McQueen as the battalion chief who displays leadership, grit and compassion. Other notable performances come from Newman, Holden and Chamberlain as the pitifully weak Simmons. Jones is good within the limits of her role. Following her success on The Towering Inferno Jones intended to continue with her acting career. “I’m not thinking of starring roles, just good characterizations in either TV or film,” she commented in 1974.7 Carlena Gower noted, “The movie was released on December 14. As a special treat my husband surprised me last year [2009] and booked us in at the hotel in San Francisco where they shot some of the sequences. When I was talking to fans about Jennifer The Towering Inferno marked the end of a Jones at the hotel, I later learned long and distinguished acting career for Jennifer Jones. (Courtesy of Carlena she had passed away on that same day. I found that bizarre.”8 Gower)

26 Life After Film Norton has expanded my thinking, turned me around. He’s taken me beyond the narrow movie world I lived in almost exclusively. Norton is like the great wind that sweeps the beach — he puts you in the middle of a hurricane and you come out with your consciousness expanded. — Jennifer Jones (1976)1

Following her failed suicide attempt in 1967, Jones became a fundraiser for mental health and anti-drug groups and a contributor to the Manhattan Project. (Founded in Manhattan Place, Los Angeles, in 1962, its aim was to help drug-addicted and disturbed youngsters.) Volunteers, including Jones, would open their homes on weekends to recovering youngsters as part of the program. In 1970, commanding officer Arthur T. Stillwell stated there was “an 80 percent success ration after a person has been treated five years. Success depended on them finding employment, not going back on drugs and not having problems with society.”2 In 1971, Jones opened the Salt Lake City, Utah, treatment center headed by the Salvation Army, working closely with the Utah Drug Foundation, following her whirlwind courtship and subsequent marriage to billionaire businessman Norton Simon. They met in May 1971 at a dinner reception for Newsweek editor-in-chief Osborn Elliott at Chasen’s restaurant in Beverly Hills. Jones was Simon’s escort. They had never met before but soon discovered they had common interests. A series of coincidences followed their first meeting. By chance they both attended another dinner the next evening and both had trips planned to Europe. Why not travel together? Almost four weeks later, Norton proposed to Jones in Paris. A Saturday shopping trip to London was followed by the drive to Folkestone where they boarded a chartered yacht. British residency requirements required they had to be married outside of British territorial waters. At 4 A.M. the following day, as the sun was about to rise on Whit Sunday, May 30, 1971, amid choppy seas 197

198

Jennifer Jones

five miles from the English coastline, they exchanged vows in a ceremony conducted by Unitarian minister Eirion Phillips. Dressed in black leather pants and a floppy black leather hat, fifty-two-year-old Mrs. Jones Simon and her sixty-four-year-old husband headed back to Los Angeles after a few days in London. California law did not recognize the offshore wedding as valid, so the ceremony was repeated at the Los Angeles Courthouse by Superior Court Judge Steven S. Weisman.3 The honeymoon was split between Hawaii and India where Simon became acquainted with Indian art at the National Museum in New Delhi. It marked the beginning of his fascination with Indian and Southeast Asian art, which he began to collect. Jones’ new husband was a native of Portland, Oregon, and a University of California dropout who had a skill for business, building his corporate empire on stock market profits. Norton Simon Inc. incorporated Hunt-Wesson Foods, McCall’s Publishing, Canada Dry Corporation, the Saturday Review of Literature, Avis Car Rental and Max Factor Cosmetics. In December 1969 he resigned from his seat on the board of Norton Simon Inc. His thirty-seven-year marriage to Lucille Ellis Simon came to an end the following year. Simon then attempted to enter politics via the 1970 California primary campaign but lost to Republican Senator George Murphy. The campaign cost Simon $2 million. Art collecting, which began as a hobby in 1954, preoccupied him in the 1960s and he turned to collecting full-time following his retirement from his company. Simon had built a large private collection of art and saw an opportunity to put it to good use as he assumed control of the struggling Pasadena Museum of Modern Art in 1974. He paid its debt of $850,000 and the operating expenses of the museum in exchange for seventy-five percent of wall space for his collection. In 1975, after renovations totaling $3 million, Simon renamed it the Norton Simon Museum of Art. He was taken to court for “violating the Museum’s Mission” by selling artworks previously donated by the former trustees of the Pasadena Museum. He was found not guilty. In 1973 Simon was sued by the Indian government for $1.5 million after they accused him of smuggling a tenth-century bronze Nataraja from the Shivapuram temple in Southern India. Simon initially admitted that the bronze had been smuggled but later recanted and claimed he bought it in good faith. The Indian government settled with an agreement that after ten years in Pasadena, the bronze be returned to India.4 With a successful return to films in The Towering Inferno (1974) still fresh in her memory, Jones and her husband attended the Fourth Annual Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Awards honoring director William Wyler at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California, on March 9, 1976. Two months later, the fantasy world of celluloid would be replaced with the grim reality of the self destructive act of a deeply troubled daughter.

26. Life After Film

199

Mary Jennifer Selznick was far from happy with her mother’s marriage to Simon and in 1971 moved to New York City where she studied acting with Uta Hagen at Greenwich Village’s HB Studio, founded by Hagen’s husband Herbert Berghof. A few years later she returned to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Occidental College. She underwent psychoanalysis and continued to experience serious problems coping with depression and a dependence on drugs. On May 11, 1976, Mary Jennifer climbed onto the roof of 10701 Wilshire Boulevard, Westwood, Los Angeles. In order to reach the summit of the twenty-two-story building, she placed a maintenance ladder against the parapet. Before climbing she put her books from college and a bag containing personal effects behind the ladder.5 When she reached the top of the roof, she jumped. Police identified her from the driver’s license in her bag. The autopsy revealed traces of morphine, barbiturates and alcohol in her system. Mary Jennifer Selznick was only twenty-two. Jones, who was at her sick father’s bedside in Dallas at the time of her daughter’s suicide, blamed herself and felt she could have prevented it. Mary Jennifer had always been closer to her father, who spoiled her as a child. Jones’ relationship with her daughter had been cooler. Jones believed in discipline, but Selznick gave his daughter free rein. Mary Jennifer had effectively controlled her own father and Jones resented it. (On May 27, 1976, eighty-threeyear-old Phil Isley, who had been suffering from cancer, died following surgery.) The death of her daughter placed Jones under great emotional strain and only the support of her husband, who had experienced the suicide of his son Robert Simon in 1969, gave her the strength to get through the coming months. Mary Jennifer’s suicide was not an isolated incident in the Hollywood acting community in the mid–1970s. In 1975, Gregory Peck’s thirty-year-old son Jonathan died from a skull fracture with a .44 caliber revolver lying near his body. Suicide was the likely cause but his sister Greta suspected murder. Peck accepted it was suicide. In the same year, twenty-four-year-old Jenny Lee Arness, the daughter of Gunsmoke actor James Arness, committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills and Dan Dailey’s son, Daniel J. Dailey III, shot himself at the age of twenty-seven. Paul Newman’s son Scott Newman died in 1978 from a lethal mixture of alcohol and drugs. Louis Jourdan’s son committed suicide in 1981 and Charles Boyer’s son Michael took his own life with a .38 caliber revolver on September 23, 1965. Although Jones Simon preferred not to discuss her daughter’s death with the press, she did make a comment in 1977 that gave an indication of her state of mind: “Thanks to Norton, I keep my emotional stability. My husband

200

Jennifer Jones

believes that being busy and responsible is the best insurance for good mental and emotional health; he’s right, I’ve never felt better and I thank my lucky stars for the wonderful life I lead now.”6 After Kirk Douglas’ troubled son Eric committed suicide in 1996, Kirk received a letter from Jones which he included in his 2007 book Let’s Face It. “I well know how parents must grieve for a lost child. I have been through that myself and can feel your pain just as if it were mine too. So as you mourn; as you feel the loss, I will feel it too. You are my beloved friends, so I will join you in weeping for the lost one.”7 Jones’ psychoanalyst Dr. Milton Wexler established the Hereditary Disease Foundation in 1968 after his wife Leonore was diagnosed with fatal Huntingdon’s Disease. Wexler’s connections to Jones went back to the late 1940s when he was working at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, at the time of Robert Walker’s treatment. Jones became more actively involved with Wexler and the Hereditary Disease Foundation when the Huntingdon’s Disease Federal Commission was in the process of being formed. Jones approached friends looking for funding in a letter dated November 3, 1975: “[W]hile the government commission is being organized, research cannot wait. Funds are needed immediately to support vital projects which are underway.... Rarely have I asked for funds ... rarely will I do it again.” In 1976 she served on the Congressional Commission for the Control of Huntingdon’s Disease and its Consequences. In October 1977 Jones narrated an eighteen-minute slide-show before Senator Birch Bayh in Washington D.C. with the aim of raising funds from Congress for research. The room where the Senate Appropriations Committee held hearings was converted into the projection room. With the help of continued fundraising efforts by Jones and others, Wexler’s search for a cure for Huntingdon’s Disease resulted in the discovery of the Huntingdon gene in 1993. In November 1979 the Simons hosted a benefit dinner at their Malibu home for friends including First Lady Rosalyn Carter (who served as the principal speaker), Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Mrs. Henry Fonda, Candice Bergen, Ryan O’Neal and David Janssen. Their combined contributions totaled one million dollars in the fight against mental illness and resulted in the founding of the Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation for Mental Health and Education.8 When Simon became director of the Norton Simon Museum in September 1977, he made his wife chairman of the board despite Jones admitting to a distinct lack of interest in museums and a lack of knowledge of fine art. Simon opened her eyes to art and the business of acquiring it. On April 15, 1980, according to newspaper reports, she successfully bid at an auction at

26. Life After Film

201

Sotheby Parke Bernet auction house in London for Flemish artist Dieric Bout’s Resurrection of Christ (c. 1455) for the Norton Simon Museum.9 The fifteenthcentury painting, originally part of an altarpiece, shows the risen Christ departing a marble coffin tomb, with a winged angel and sleeping soldier depicted within the backdrop of a European landscape. In the far distance, three women can be seen walking along a winding path on their journey to the tomb. In reality, Jones was present at the London auction house for publicity purposes while the actual bidding was conducted by Norton Simon Museum director David Bull. Phoning from Malibu, Simon was passing instructions to auctioneer Derek Johns, who was told to move his phone to his right ear as a signal to Bull to stop bidding. The painting was valued at $438,000 but Bull was involved in a bidding war with London’s National Gallery that elevated the price to a record-breaking $3.74 million. After commissions, the price rose to $4.2 million. The press were fooled into thinking Jones had been involved in the bidding when it was announced, “Sold to Jennifer Jones Simon on behalf of the Norton Simon Museum.”10 After attending the opening of 42nd Street on Broadway on December 1, 1980, the Simonses traveled to Washington D.C. to be present at a White House reception given by President Carter on December 7 for the Kennedy Center Honorees. The annual awards recognize the talents and contributions to American culture of renowned artists and performers. Honorees in 1980 were Leonard Bernstein, James Cagney, Lynne Fontanne and Leontyne Price. The Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation for Mental Health was continuing to raise awareness and providing funding into the causes and treatment of various illnesses related to brain dysfunction. Jones’ efforts were rewarded in May 1983 when she received the American Psychiatric Association special presidential commendation for her support of mental health care and research.11 Jennifer Jones Simon in the 1980s.

202

Jennifer Jones

As Cary Grant was on the board of the Norton Simon Museum, it was only fitting that Jennifer and Norton Simon were in attendance to see him receive the Man of the Year Award from Frank Sinatra at the private Friars Club in New York City on May 16, 1982. Although she hadn’t worked on a film set since 1974, Jones didn’t ignore the industry that made her famous and was regularly photographed at various events including the Talent Agent’s Award Luncheon on February 16, 1983, and the 6th Annual Performing Arts Awards Gala on December 4, 1983. On March 1, 1984, Jones made a rare televised appearance at The American Film Institute Tribute to Lillian Gish. Jones, who had worked with Gish in Duel in the Sun (1946) and Portrait of Jennie (1948), thanked her for pleasant memories of making those films. After Guillain-Barre syndrome confined Simon to a wheelchair following an attack in May 1984, Jones assumed more responsibility at the museum. She made the official announcement of her husband’s paralyzing neurological disorder in September 1985 at a benefit reception she attended when she was honored by the Pennsylvania School of Nursing.12 Simon’s worsening condition required constant care and in late 1988 the Simonses moved to bungalows at the Beverly Hills Hotel where they stayed until late 1992. Jones was a presenter at the Academy Awards on March 30, 1987. Following a montage of clips from her films, she was introduced to the audience to warm applause and was notably nervous when she announced the winner of Best Cinematography (Chris Menges for his work on The Mission). She appeared to be more relaxed when she attended The American Film Institute Tribute to Gregory Peck on March 9, 1989. She had obvious affection for her co-star in Duel in the Sun and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) and told the celebrity audience that performing love scenes with him had not been difficult. Jones continued to be dedicated to her work in mental health and became a paraprofessional therapist and volunteered at the Southern California Counseling Center in Beverly Hills in the early 1990s. When worsening health forced Simon to retire as president of the museum in March 1989, Jones stepped in. She took time out from her duties in early 1990 to attend the wedding of friends Robert Wagner and Jill St. John. Two years later, her long-time friend Anita Colby died, followed by the death of Norton Simon on June 1, 1993, at the age of eighty-six. After a period of mourning, Jones began work on plans to renovate the interior of the museum with architect and museum board member Frank O. Gehry. Approximately 51,000 square feet of gallery space was redesigned. Ceilings were raised two feet, lighting was improved by the addition of skylights, etc. The project was undertaken in two phases between 1995 and June 1999.

26. Life After Film

203

Simon’s $750 million collection remained in Pasadena despite serious considerations of donating it to UCLA. Possible mergers with the J. Paul Getty Trust, the National Gallery and Carter Brown also came to nothing. Jones stated to Los Angeles Magazine (February 1996): “There’ll be no merger.... [A]fter many talks, of which I was always a part, we decided we wanted to remain the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, with no collaboration with anyone else. The important thing now is to take ... the great collection and present it properly. In my lifetime that’s what I want most to happen.”13 Jones disliked the functional and uninspired back garden of the museum. It would be replaced with a new landscaped garden designed by Nancy Goslee Power. Jones looked to Claude Monet’s Giverny as her inspiration. The French impressionist’s lotus pond was transferred to a 79,000-square foot garden complete with water lilies and 180 species of trees (including Moreton Bay Fig, Cockspur Coral Tree, Tulip Tree, Deodar Cedar, and Kashmir Cypress Tree). The garden was unveiled in October 1999 but the renovations didn’t please everyone. Los Angeles Magazine (November 1998) reported: “The new Norton Simon ... looks less like a signature Gehry building than it did before its redesign. His work here fades into the background in deference to Simon’s old masters and their need for the formality of 19th-century French salon.”14 Jones maintained her interest in film and the performing arts throughout the mid–1990s, attending the 11th Annual American Cinematheque Moving Picture Ball honoring Tom Cruise on September 21, 1996. She traveled to Germany in June 1997 for the German Film Awards where she was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. A few months later, on September 28, Robert Wagner hosted The 3rd Annual International Achievement in Arts Award, honoring Gregory Peck and Jones with the Legend Award for Lifetime Achievement in Film. Other recipients of awards at the David Gest–directed show from the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom included Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson and Diane Warren. The renovated Norton Simon Museum was launched on September 28, 2000, with the new documentary film The Art of Norton Simon, introduced by Jones. Narrated by Gregory Peck and directed by Davis Guggenheim, the thirty-minute film recounts Simon’s life in business and art. Almost one year later, on September 8, 2001, she made a rare outing to attend the wedding of Peck’s daughter Cecilia to Daniel Voll at the home of Veronique and Gregory Peck. Lauren Bacall, Angie Dickinson, Barbara Sinatra and Pat and Larry Gelbart were also in attendance. September 2001 was a busy month for Jones, who also took time out to attend Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Celebration concert in Madison Square Gardens, New York City. Over two hundred celebrity guests were invited to watch Jackson’s live concert held on September 7 and September 10, 2001. Jones’ presentation at the concert

204

Jennifer Jones

was not included in the two-hour CBS special broadcast on November 13, 2001. Jones became chair emeritus of the Norton Simon Museum and Norton Simon Foundation in 2003; she held the position until her retirement in 2007. With her health declining, Jones was seen less often in public as the first decade of the new millennium progressed although she did find time to make an appearance at the 75th Annual Academy Awards, hosted by Steve Martin, on March 23, 2003, in a tribute to past Oscar winners. On February 7, 2004, one of her dresses was auctioned at the Art for AIDS III event in Orange County, California. Jones accepted an invitation from her friend Kirk Douglas to attend the renewal of his vows to his wife Anne on the occasion of their fiftieth wedding anniversary in May 2004. Douglas, like Jones, had studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts under the diminutive, bespectacled Charles “Jelly” Jehlinger.15 Jones made one of her final public appearances in January 2008 when she attended the Fortieth Anniversary Birthday Gala of the Hereditary Disease Foundation with her good friend, HDF President Nancy Wexler. Jones suffered from cerebrovascular atherosclerosis in the last years of her life, with the final stages of vascular dementia taking its grip in the final six months. On December 17, 2009, at 3:45 A.M., 90-year-old Jones passed away at her Malibu home with her son Robert at her side. She was survived by her son, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Jennifer Jones Simon laid in rest at the Conejo Mountain Funeral Home the following day before being cremated in a private ceremony. She left the world as she lived most of her private life, in privacy, surrounded by family and friends, away from what she considered an intrusive media. Her death certificate lists her as Jennifer Jones Simon, her occupation as “Actress,” her business as “Movies” and her years of occupation as “40.” Despite efforts to move on from her past and to live in the present, she is immortalized as Jennifer Jones, Academy Award–winning actress. This is her lasting legacy for many. But Jones was also a humanitarian who helped boost the morale of wounded soldiers during the Korean War and contributed to help those suffering from mental health and addiction problems. She was a fundraiser for mental health, cancer and hereditary disease research and was trustee for the Commission for the Control of Huntingdon’s Disease. Contrary to the perceptions of some in the general public, Jones was far from reclusive in the years following her retirement from acting. She chose her venues wisely and maintained her distance from journalists wanting to explore her past. Columnist Robert Osborne was granted a rare interview with Jennifer Jones. Her words to him explained a psychological reason for maintaining a

26. Life After Film

205

low profile. “Publicity! My mortal enemy. I had to have two glasses of wine and two tranquilizers before I could get here.” In sidebar memos to himself among his notes of the interview, Osborne observed of Jones: “Flushed,” “Chic,” “Nervous,” “Large” and, most amusing and bemusing to Osborne when he recently re-discovered his handwritten notes, “She talks the lingo.”16 Despite her personal reservations about “publicity,” the performing arts remained an important part of Jennifer Jones’ life. She had many more layers to her life that may have received less publicity but were of more importance on a personal level than any fictional role she played on the big screen.

27 The Plays of Jennifer Jones I had always thought in terms of the theater. — Jennifer Jones (1954)1

Jennifer Jones failed to achieve lasting recognition in the theater and as a result her stage career is often neglected. Her love of theater from an early age had instilled in Jones ambitions to be a successful and, more importantly, respected stage actress. Her failure in Portrait of a Lady was a major disappointment for Jones as she searched for the play that would bring her success. But that play would remain elusive. Film would prove to be the prime medium to highlight Jones’ talents; her stage career would ultimately be viewed as merely an interesting diversion. Jones began her theatrical career as a child in 1929 with the traveling Phil Isley Stock Company (see Chapter 1 and notes where this account is contested). This was followed by work with the Mansfield Players. In October 1938, while searching for theatrical work in New York City with Robert Walker, she found work in Greenwich Village at the Cherry Lane Theatre. (see Chapter 1).

Hello Out There (1941) I been lonesome all my life — there’s no cure for that — but you and me — we can have a lot of fun hanging around together. You’ll bring me luck. I know you will. — Young Man

In the summer of 1941, while promoting his contract players at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, David O. Selznick made the decision to display his latest signing, Phylis Walker, in a new one-act play by William Saroyan to be produced by Alfred de Liagre and John Houseman. Houseman also served as director of the play which was written in early August 1941.2 Hello Out There was the third production of the season. 206

27. The Plays of Jennifer Jones

207

The plot focuses on an itinerant gambler who finds himself arrested and behind bars in Matador, Texas, falsely accused of rape in nearby Wheeling. The young man forms a close bond with seventeen-year-old Emily Smith, who works as a cook in the jailhouse. But their plan to escape to San Francisco is ruined when the husband of the woman who claimed she was raped murders the young man. Walker was introduced to theater audiences on Wednesday, September 10, 1941, playing “The Girl” opposite newcomer Henry Bratsburg, later known as Harry Morgan. Hello Out There served as the curtain-raiser to Bernard Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple starring Janet Gaynor and Alan Marshal. Audience and critical reaction was favorable during the week-long run. Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times (September 12, 1941) reported, “Phylis Walker enacted it with rare feeling....” While Hello Out There was a success, Selznick was aware that Walker needed further training in the art of acting and placed her under the tuition of Sanford Meisner. She also required lessons in improving her diction and posture.

Serena Blandish (1948) Though it is better to marry a young man, best to marry a rich man, next best to marry a distinguished man, it is better to marry a crossing sweeper than not to marry at all. — Countess Flor di Folio

La Jolla, the birthplace of Gregory Peck, located 100 miles south of Hollywood, was a wealthy, conservative beach community ideally suited for a summer theater. Selznick loaned his contract players Peck, Mel Ferrer and Dorothy McGuire $15,000 to help finance the new La Jolla Playhouse in 1947. Ferrer credited Peck as the main driving force behind the formation of the Playhouse with his powerful speech to the La Jolla Women’s Committee selling them on the idea before any play was produced. However, the Kiwanis Club sponsorship deal headed by club president Frank Harmon was also a factor.3 The auditorium at La Jolla High School was chosen as the venue to stage the plays. Its arched proscenium featured a mural depicting one of Jones’ favorite stage actresses Katharine Cornell alongside Brian Aherne in a scene from Romeo and Juliet. La Jolla Playhouse attracted actors including Richard Basehart, Dame May Whitty, Barry Sullivan, Jose Ferrer, Ann Harding, Eve Arden, Ruth Hussey, Guy Madison, Diana Lynn, Reginald Denny, Jane Cowl, Laraine Day, Martha Scott and Groucho Marx, despite the meager terms of $55 plus hotel and three meals a day. Peck served as artistic director, with Ferrer as producer, McGuire, Jones and Joseph Cotten had a stake as directors of La Jolla.

208

Jennifer Jones

Actors were given one week to rehearse in the rigid structure of twentyminute and forty-minute scenes within each hour. With a maximum of 500 seats available for each performance, any profits were eaten away by the weekly rent of the auditorium. Budgets were kept low. Peck requested that the actors be prepared and know their lines, ready to go straight into rehearsal when they arrived at the theater. Peck was well aware of the lack of genuine criticism within the insular Hollywood community and welcomed feedback from an audience not timid about voicing their opinions. “It is exceptionally good training for young actors, as well as fine entertainment for the public out west. Besides, we actors like to have a live audience. It’s good for us,” Peck told Alice Pardoe West in March 1950. Jones was scheduled to appear with Peck and Eve Arden in John Van Druten’s romantic comedy The Voice of the Turtle. The play had been a huge success on Broadway, running to 1,577 performances between December 8, 1943, and January 3, 1948. The La Jolla production was sold out for the week of August 26, 1947, when Jones suddenly backed out.4 Peck was left without a play and hurriedly put together a production of Patrick Hamilton’s popular Victorian melodrama Angel Street in which he co-starred with Laraine Day, Ernest Cossart, Elizabeth Patterson and Elizabeth Fraser.5 The following August, Jones finally made her La Jolla stage debut in Serena Blandish. Her personal entourage included a cook, butler, maid and hairdresser. Walter Saxer served as her personal trainer and Constance Collier her acting coach. Her wardrobe was designed by Charles James, Mainbocher and Cristian Dior. The Mel Ferrer production Serena Blandish played from August 10 to 15, 1948. Jones co-starred with Louis Jourdan, Constance Collier, Mildred Natwick and Reginald Owen. Based on the novel by Enid Bagnold, the play concerned a girl born near the docks of London who becomes involved in “engagements” of varying degrees with, among others, Lord Ivor Cream and a jeweler. The beautiful Serena attracts men and in turn is attracted by men. In the book she becomes the consort of a Nicaraguan Indian; Miss Blandish continues her adventures as a single amorous woman in the stage version.6 Although the play was a success with audiences, it was a financial failure with a loss of several thousand dollars. The budget had run out of control when Selznick insisted on the casting of Collier and Owen. Because the Actors Equity only allowed American Union Members in summer stock productions, Collier and Owen were registered as aliens and the low summer stock salaries had to be abandoned. The stage production could go ahead with foreigners Collier and Owen at inflated fees for all concerned. The Los Angeles Times (August 14, 1948) reported, “Serena Blandish unfolds in a plodding tempo as a star-studded cast manages to keep the almost

27. The Plays of Jennifer Jones

Jones and Louis Jourdan in Serena Blandish.

209

Jennifer Jones

210

unwieldy structure intact through six scene shifts in two acts.” Hedda Hopper had praise for Jones in her “Hollywood” column (August 16, 1948): “When Jennifer Jones made for entrance ... her beauty made the audience gasp. Her acting was fine....” In October 1948, Jones had been in rehearsals with her Serena Blandish co-star Constance Collier for a Theatre Guild production of Romeo and Juliet (ultimately not produced). In December 1950 it was announced that she would be touring England and Italy in Romeo and Juliet following the birth of her baby.7 Jones took further lessons with Collier in 1951, studying Shakespeare and other classics. But Jones was fated never to appear as Juliet on the stage and her chance at playing Shakespeare passed her by. Constance Collier declared, “If Jennifer had stuck by the stage and not gone to California, I know she would have been at the top in the theater now. And much needed! We have many good character actresses right now — but less than a handful of good straight romantic actresses. Jennifer could be a great leading lady, in the full sense of the word. She is one of our very few actresses capable of playing within her own personality.”8

Portrait of a Lady (1954) The real offence ... was her having a mind of her own at all. Her mind was to be his own like a small garden-plot to a deer park. — Henry James, Portrait of a Lady (1881)

The time had come for Jones to star on the Broadway stage. She was thirty-five years of age and ready to accept the challenge of playing Isabel Archer in Portrait of a Lady. In one of her rare interviews, Jennifer Jones told reporter Alice Hughes in 1954, “When I was studying in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York I used to sit in theater balconies and watch Katharine Cornell, Helen Hayes and others. I hardly dared hope that I too would one day be playing on Broadway.”9 Director José Quintero had gained a reputation as a theater director of distinction with his work on Summer and Smoke with Geraldine Page, The Girl on the Via Flaminia and In the Summer House. Quintero persuaded Jones to appear in Portrait of a Lady in meetings with her in Hollywood. Jones compared Quintero to a storage battery: “He looks so dark and quiet, but just you make contact. Boy! How he sparks.”10 William Archibald had previously achieved Broadway success with his adaptation of Henry James’ Washington Square. Portrait of a Lady, another adaptation of a James novel, revolves around the intense and idealistic Isabel

27. The Plays of Jennifer Jones

211

Archer, who values her independence above all else. After rejecting many suitors and marriage proposals, she unexpectedly marries Gilbert Osmond against the advice of her friends. Archer soon regrets her decision as it becomes evident that the abusive, cheating Osmond has married her for her money. Archer becomes trapped in a loveless marriage to a man who only ever existed in her imagination. Jones viewed Isabel Archer as a woman “full of ideals” and eager to meet life head on, who becomes disillusioned with “decadent expatriates in Europe.” She approached her Broadway debut with trepidation: “I know I’ll burst into tears if someone doesn’t like me, but I’ll get over it.”11 The Syracuse Herald Journal announced the opening of the play at the Colonial Theatre, Boston, on November 11, 1954: “Jennifer Jones’ stage debut in Portrait of a Lady is enjoying a better advance run than the Lunts ... $30,000 for its 10-day run.” Edwin F. Melvin of The Christian Science Monitor (November 12, 1954) had praise for the preview performance: “William Archibald has captured to surprising degree the mood of Henry James’s long novel on which the play is based.” Harvard Crimson critic R. E. Oldenburg wrote. (November 16, 1954), “Unfortunately, Jennifer Jones has so little control over the role that she seems to leave it unattended on the stage.... Miss Jones may well have had her lines on flash cards.... Miss Jones as Miss Jones learning a part has neither charm nor authority, and however much the role might suffer from over-acting, it dies when played hesitantly.” The cast then performed at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., where first lady Mamie Eisenhower attended with her daughter.12 The play underwent further revisions following performances in Baltimore before moving to the ANTA Theatre on Broadway. The interior of the former Guild Theatre had been rebuilt in Federal American style by Robert Dowling. Jones’ time on stage proved to be brief with Portrait of a Lady closing on December 25, 1954, after only seven performances. Following the premature close of the play, Harold Clurman of The Nation ( January 8, 1955) wrote: [It] was as everyone agreed, dramatically flaccid, tenuous, and without definite contour. The play seemed to lack a story, that is, action and situation....

Alice Hughes of the Reading Eagle (December 22, 1954) wrote: The play is thoughtful rather than lively, and beautiful visually. Jennifer Jones’ work ... establishes her flair for the theater. In magnificent Cecil Beaton– designed dresses, she is a charming actress with a luminous quality and a talent for stirring the audience emotionally.

The New York Herald Tribune (December 22, 1954), thought Jones “technically immature” to properly portray the complex Isabel Archer. The New

212

Jennifer Jones

York Daily Mirror (December 22, 1954) found her to be “gracious and graceful” as Isabel, and thought she achieved “genuine emotional impact” when the script permitted. Phyllis Battelle’s review in Stars and Stripes (December 24, 1954) had sober advice for Jones and harsh words for the play which she called: [O]ne of the slowest snooze-inducing plays of the season. It was difficult to discern whether Miss Jones might make the grade as a Broadway star because of the weakness of the material. But the general impression in this sector is that she is a sweet young thing who needs a deal of maturing before she takes on the bigtime.

In an interview three months after Portrait of a Lady closed, Jones confided, “I would call it the real failure of my life, as far as work is concerned ... I learned a lot. I have no regrets ... and the failure did not destroy my dreams of working in the theater. I hope to go back. Everyone has ups and downs in this business.”13 In a letter to Michael Powell dated February 3, 1955, David O. Selznick stated that James’ story was “probably impossible to adapt” and called the stage production “a semiprofessional setup” that was “headed for disaster” from its start in Boston.14 Seven years later, when Jerome Robbins began work as co-producer and director of Eric Bentley’s adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children in 1962, he quickly secured Geraldine Page to play Anna Fierly a.k.a. Mother Courage in Brecht’s play about a canteen woman who seeks to profit from the Thirty Year’s War in seventeenth-century Europe. With Page having to withdraw due to a conflicting work schedule, Actors Studio director Lee Strasberg suggested Jones as the replacement. Robbins was flabbergasted by his recommendation and remarked, “[T]o think that a man who is the artistic head of a studio could possibly think that Jennifer Jones could play Mother Courage....”15 When the play premiered at the Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, on March 28, 1963, Anne Bancroft stepped on the stage as Mother Courage.

The Man with the Perfect Wife (1965) Based on The Sand Castle and originally written for actress Frances Hyland, it premiered on the Canadian Broadcasting Company in 1955.16 In 1965 the comedy play was revised and originally re-titled Goddess on the Couch before David O. Selznick decided on The Man with the Perfect Wife. Jones rehearsed for her role in New York, refusing to grant interviews or permit rehearsal photographs. Miami News theater critic Helen Muir was granted access to Jones after the play opened in Palm Beach. “This play by

27. The Plays of Jennifer Jones

213

Patricia Joudrey I really do like,” said the actress. “It’s very exciting to work on stage and it opens up a whole new world to me.”17 Psychiatrist Calvin Bishop (Barry Morse) believes he has discovered the perfect method for finding a suitable mate with his questionnaire system. Erica ( Jones), a professor of parapsychology from Delhi University, India, uses her finely tuned sense of ESP and background in Zen Buddhism to come to her conclusions. Buddha is as good as Freud in her philosophy. Fellow psychiatrists were played by Murray Hamilton, Morris Carnovsky, Laurie Main and Heywood Hale Broun. Ruth McDevitt played a housekeeper. Zev Bufman, Stan Seiden and James Riley produced the play and Windsor Lewis directed. George Masters was flown in from Los Angeles to be Jones’ hairdresser. The play premiered on March 22, 1965, at Frank J. Hale’s Royal Poinciana Playhouse, Palm Beach, Florida, running until March 27. It then moved to the Miami’s Coconut Grove Playhouse from March 30 to April 11. Plans to follow the trial runs with a stint on Broadway came to nothing. The Man with the Perfect Wife was the final production of Frank Hale’s seventh season. Miami News drama critic Helen Muir (March 31, 1965), suggested eliminating the first act completely if not for “seeing the lithe and lovely Miss Jones strip down to electric blue leotard and electrify the audience with her yoga exercises. Sustained applause greeted this climax to Act 1.... A first fight between Mr. Morse and Miss Jones is smoothly and effectively done complete with rolling on the floor. Here let it be said that Windsor Lewis did his best as a director of a play which ... I consider unoriginal and tedious despite the talent involved.”

Country Girl (1966) Country Girl was part of the American Playwrights Series at the City Center Drama Company, New York City. Jones was finally given the opportunity to perform the role she originally turned down due to pregnancy in 1954. The play ran from September 29 to October 16, 1966. Jones played Georgie Elgin, with Joseph Anthony as Frank Elgin, Rip Torn as Bernie Dodd, Robin Strasser as Nancy Stoddard and Walter Lott as Ralph. Franchot Tone was originally cast as Frank but had to withdraw due to ill health. Director Martin Fried was a friend and protégé of Lee Strasberg. Clifford Odets’ play centers on the crumbling marriage of recovering alcoholic Frank ( Joseph Anthony) and his wife Georgie ( Jones). Frank is given one last chance to resurrect his acting career when director Bernie Dodd (Torn) offers him a part in a high-profile play. The theater critic for The New York Times (September 30, 1966) thought

214

Jennifer Jones

the performance of Jennifer Jones was “cool when it should be vital” and “petulant when it should be angry.” Variety (October 5, 1966) found Jennifer performance to be “artfully varied” and “touching.” Country Girl marked the end of Jones’ relatively unsuccessful stage career. From her beginnings in summer stock she had achieved her ambition of reaching the Broadway stage, but unlike her childhood idol Katharine Cornell, she failed to establish a reputation for excellence and retreated from the stage without any fanfare.

28 Jennifer Jones on Radio I used to envy girls like Paulette Goddard who were outgoing and loved being movie stars. I wished I could be like them — electric, vivid, happy. — Jennifer Jones (1974)1

It was common practice for film stars to cross over to radio in the 1940s. Unlike the medium of television which was seen as competing for the attention of big screen audiences, radio served to promote the various actors and their films. Jones failed to exploit the medium of radio to her full potential while in Hollywood and her dramatic roles were rare. Jones made her radio debut as Phylis Isley on The Phylis Isley Radio Theatre in October 1938. The thirty-minute drama show was broadcast weekly out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and ran for thirteen weeks. Jones appeared in broadcasts with her husband Robert Walker before their first move to Hollywood in 1939. Jones, “the bright, new talent discovered by David O. Selznick,” was introduced to the radio listening public on the fifteen-minute news broadcast Your Hollywood Newsgirl on March 25, 1942.2 She had recently begun filming on The Song of Bernadette (1943). Her next radio appearance followed the completion of Bernadette when Bob Hope presented her with an award on January 11, 1944, for her work on the film. The Bob Hope Show was NBC’s top-rated radio show at the time and helped boost her profile with the filmgoing public. The Radio Hall of Fame was the radio arm of Variety under the guidance of its editor Abel Green. The sixty-minute NBC show, sponsored by Philco, mixed comedy (featuring Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Groucho Marx, Eddie Cantor et al.) with singing, news, reviews and dramatized adaptations of stage plays and popular films of the day.3 Jones reprised her film role as Bernadette Soubirous on February 29, 1944, together with Charles 215

216

Jennifer Jones

Bickford as Dean Peyramale in an abridged, one-act adaptation. It was performed on Stage One of the 20th Century–Fox studio in Hollywood, with Alfred Newman directing the orchestra and chorus. Jones was introduced by Deems Taylor eighteen minutes into the Radio Hall of Fame broadcast, following comedian Jerry Lester and Helen O’Connell singing “Green Eyes.”4 Narration helps move the story forward throughout. We are introduced to Bernadette on her return home from seeing the Lady for the first time in the cave at Massabielle. Her mother forbids her to return to the cave, causing such great anguish in Bernadette that her mother finally agrees to Bernadette’s request if she accompanies her to the grotto. When news of Bernadette’s vision reaches the townsfolk, she attracts a large following on her visits and comes to the attention of the city officials. The interrogation by Commissioner Jacomet is followed by narration leading to Bernadette’s meeting with the abrasive Dean of Lourdes (Charles Bickford). He orders Bernadette to ask the Lady to make the wild rose bush bloom in the last week of February. When Bernadette informs the Lady, she is told to eat the wild plants and weeds and to wash in the spring. Digging in the soil for water, Bernadette eats the plants and smears her face in mud to the amusement of the watching crowd. Jacomet proudly announces, “You’ve been duped by an idiot.” But soon spring water pours from the hole dug by Bernadette. The twenty-minute dramatization concludes with the miracle of the spring and the words, “For Bernadette a new life was to begin. This was but the prologue.” Jones’ radio voice is light and delicate and her delivery sensitive. The abridged version is faithful to the film, complete with Newman’s musical score, and serves the purpose of an extended teaser trailer. On May 21, 1944, Jones starred on CBS’s The Star and the Story, hosted by Walter Pidgeon and sponsored by the Goodyear Tire Company. She appeared as Ether Blodgett in a thirty-minute production of A Star Is Born, with Pidgeon co-starring as Norman Maine.5 This was followed by an appearance on a United Nations Tribute to China, broadcast by NBC in Hollywood on July 8, 1944. On Lux Radio Theatre Jones starred as Diane with Van Johnson as Chico on October 16, 1944, in a dramatized version of the popular Seventh Heaven by Austin Strong, set in Paris in 1914 in the weeks preceding World War I. Strong’s story had been filmed by Frank Borzage in 1927 (a production starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell) and again in 1937 by Henry King (with Simone Simon and James Stewart). The Lux Theatre production was part of the show’s Tenth Anniversary celebrations. Seventh Heaven had been the first play to be broadcast on the

28. Jennifer Jones on Radio

217

CBS radio show on October 14, 1934, and Cecil B. DeMille introduced it again for the 465th episode. The story opens in the Paris slums as “a teeming population fights for its existence.” A thief, nicknamed “the sewer rat,” is captured by the police after he steals a watch belonging to Father Cheviot ( Jean Hersholt). The kindhearted priest lets “the sewer rat” go free. Before he leaves, he steals ten francs from the church which he gives to Papa Boul (Billy Gilbert). We are introduced to Diane ( Jones) as she is being bullied by her drunken sister Nana. Chico (Van Johnson) makes his entrance alongside the “sewer rat” and Papa Boul as they celebrate their stolen windfall at “The Hole in the Sock.” Chico takes pity on Diane at the bar when he sees her being beaten by her sister. Diane is a timid, fragile young girl who sees no hope for the future and admits to Chico that she is afraid of everything. When she attempts suicide by jumping in the river, Chico rescues her and tells her to be brave and to stand up to her sister. We learn his optimism and strength of will isn’t the result of a strong faith in God, as he proudly tells everyone he is an atheist. The police raid the slums to take away every unmarried girl for questioning. In order to protect Diane, Chico tells the police that Diane is his wife. Act Two begins with Diane accompanying Chico to his seventh floor apartment. With its panoramic view of Paris, Diane considers the apartment to be “Seventh Heaven.” Papa Boul suggests that she really take Chico for her husband instead of just pretending. On a whim, Chico decides to marry Diane but a lawyer tells Diane she will inherit 30,000 francs from her deceased uncle only if she remains single. Before any decision can be made, Diane’s train of thought is interrupted by celebrations in the street below. War has been declared and Chico must report for duty. With time short, Chico takes it upon himself to marry Diane and for the sake of his marriage vows admits to Diane that God may exist. Diane begins to take control of her life and tells Nana she can no longer bully her into submission because she is no longer afraid of her. In Act Three, Diane is told the dreaded news that Chico has died in a German prison hospital. When she hears the crowds celebrating the end of the war, Diane loses her faith because she has lost the man she loves. “There is no God. It’s all false,” she declares. Then, to her astonishment, she hears Chico enter the apartment. He is alive, and despite losing his sight he has a newfound faith in the reality of God’s love. The play concludes as Chico proudly declares, “Now that I’m blind, I see.” Seventh Heaven is a simple religious morality play that addressed the anxiety of war and struck a nerve with the audience who had loved ones still

218

Jennifer Jones

engaged in combat in World War II. Van Johnson speaks with clear diction and elicits spontaneous laughter from the live audience with his delivery. In comparison, Jones is a little subdued. Although she is playing a timid character, her voice is often too low-key for radio and her performance is uneven. After the play concluded, DeMille talked briefly to Jones. We get a hint of her real-life personality which reveals a pleasant girl with a tendency to giggling laughter. There are audible gasps from the audience when DeMille tells them that Gary Cooper will be appearing in the theater next week. DeMille also takes time to promote Since You Went Away in which “Jennifer Jones is currently appearing.”6 The March of Dimes radio appeal began on January 1938 with entertainer Eddie Cantor appealing to listeners for contributions in the fight against infantile paralysis caused by polio: “The March of Dimes will enable all persons, even the children, to show our president that they are with him in this battle against this disease. Nearly everyone can send in a dime, or several dimes....”7 The first fund drive for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis resulted in 2,680,000 dimes. On January 22, 1947, NBC’s annual March of Dimes show included a dramatization of Edward Everett Hale’s short story “The Man Without a Country.” The cast was made up of actors appearing in Duel in the Sun (1946) including Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotten and Lionel Barrymore. Dimitri Tiomkin supplied the music in the thirty-minute production.8 United States Army Lieutenant Philip Nolan, a follower of Aaron Burr, is found guilty of treason by court-martial in 1807 and sentenced never to hear the name of the United States again as long as he lives. Nolan can read no books and receive no information about his homeland. Banished to spend his life in exile on a ship on the high seas, Nolan meets an old flame at a ball on the ship. The woman he knew as Miss Rutledge, now Mrs. Graff, finds his company unwelcome and soon departs, leaving him feeling more isolated than ever. Only his friendship with Captain Mitchell sustains his spirits. But when Nolan learns of Mitchell’s death, he loses the will to live. Far from making him feel more hostile and bitter toward his country, his experience brings Nolan a greater love and appreciation of the United States of America as he approaches death. Jones made her exit from the radio world following her second appearance on The Bob Hope Show on February 4, 1947, where she was voted Outstanding Actress of 1946 by Look magazine.

29 The Films That Got Away There has never been a time in my life when I did not think of myself as an actress. Even in the years when I was not acting. — Jennifer Jones (1974)1

Actors’ careers are defined by the choices they make. In the early part of Jennifer Jones’ career her choices were dictated by David O. Selznick. Those choices often hurt her and ultimately stalled any momentum she had gained in her career. Some roles were lost through genuine competition from actresses who won the roles because they were considered more suitable. Other roles were lost due to pregnancy. Some roles were assigned to Jones only for her to see them taken away by a belligerent Selznick, who decided they weren’t suitable for his protégé. The fact that some of these films became major box office hits must have been a source of frustration and regret for Jones in later years when she struggled with her career. When young Phylis Isley signed her contract with Republic in 1939, she was initially slated to appear in two productions. Raiders of the Wasteland, the working title of New Frontier (1939), marked her film debut, starring alongside John Wayne. She was also mentioned in the press in connection with a continuing role in the film series The Higgins Family.2 The light-hearted comedy about an advertising executive ( James Gleason) and his dysfunctional family stretched to a nine-film series beginning in 1938 and ending in 1941. Signed by David O. Selznick, Jones had high hopes of securing a role in The Keys of the Kingdom. Selznick purchased the screen rights to A.J. Cronin’s novel about a missionary priest in China for $100,000 in 1941 with the intention of casting Ingrid Bergman as Maria Veronica and Jones (still known as Phylis Isley) as Nora Bannon. The start of production was slated for May 1942, but was held back when Selznick failed to find a suitable actor for the role of Father Francis Chisholm. In November 1942 Selznick sold the rights to 20th Century–Fox. By the time production finally began on February 1, 219

220

Jennifer Jones

1944, the role of Nora had gone to Jane Ball. Gregory Peck starred as Chisholm under the direction of John M. Stahl. The film was a critical success and garnered a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for Peck. Ball retired from acting in 1947 after starring in only three films. In 1942, producer Val Lewton was searching for a second female lead for his latest film Cat People. The story of a Serbian woman who fears she will turn into a cat if she has sex with her husband was a controversial subject for the time. Simone Simon was already cast in the lead as Irena. Lewton was looking to find an actress for the role of Alice Moore, and approached Selznick to inquire if Jones was available. He refused to release her to his former story editor because he didn’t want his new contract player in a “B” horror movie from RKO.3 Jane Randolph filled the role and the film achieved cult status. According to a May 1943 report by Louella Parsons, The Land I Love by Stephen Longstreet, about an average American who becomes president, would be filmed under the title American Story with Gregory Peck, Jones, Joseph Cotten and Dorothy McGuire.4 The film project never materialized. Selznick refused to let Jones honor her contractual agreement to 20th Century–Fox and star as Laura Hunt in Otto Preminger’s Laura, based on Vera Caspary’s popular novel. The story of a police detective’s obsession with the murder of beautiful, enigmatic Laura appeared to be a perfect match for Jones, but she found herself being sued by 20th Century–Fox for $613,000 in May 1944 for breach of contract. Selznick was mistaken in his belief that the script wasn’t suited to his Academy Award–winning actress. Gene Tierney replaced Jones and the film was a major success for both Tierney and Fox. When Jones did fulfill her contractual agreement for Fox, it was in Ernst Lubitsch’s light comedy Cluny Brown (1946). Although well received, the film was not on a par with Laura and didn’t further her career in the same manner Laura would have, had Selznick cooperated. A film adaptation of Lloyd C. Douglas’ best-selling novel The Robe, concerning Christ’s robe at the crucifixion, was announced on January 3, 1945 in The New York Times: “Jennifer Jones probably will portray the leading character, Diana, in the Frank Ross-RKO production of The Robe.” Jones became the leading choice after Ingrid Bergman was forced to withdraw due to other work commitments. Mervyn LeRoy, the original choice for director, had departed by 1948 when Victor Fleming was announced. Gregory Peck had been cast to play the male lead Marcellus Gallio. But by July 1948, an ever-increasing budget resulted in the cancellation of the project. It was resurrected by 20th Century–Fox in May 1952 and went before the cameras on February 24, 1953, with Richard Burton and Jean Simmons in the lead roles. The Oscar-winning film had the distinction of being the first production to be released in CinemaScope.

29. The Films That Got Away

221

Detective Lt. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) gazes upon the beauty of the mysterious Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) in Laura (1944). The film is recognized as a classic and was a lost opportunity for Jones to build on the success of The Song of Bernadette.

In 1945, Jones turned down an offer to appear as Virginia “Jinny” Marshland in Donald Ogden Stewart’s adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis novel Cass Timberlane. Virginia Marshland, described as “a girl from the wrong side of the tracks,” marries Judge Cass Timberlane. The story of a girl marrying above her class was a subject that was to become familiar to Jones in Duel in the Sun, Carrie and Ruby Gentry. Once again the role seemed a good match for Jones given the fact that Spencer Tracy would be playing her husband. In his biography of David O. Selznick, Showman, David Thomson described how Selznick and Jones were having dinner with Leland Hayward and his wife, the actress Margaret Sullavan. Jones mentioned Cass Timberlane as a likely project for her next film when Sullavan surprised Jones with the news that she had already been offered the part. Sullavan apologized later and admitted it was a lie, but the damage had been done and Jones’ interest in the film was lost.5 Producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr. provided a different version of events when he was interviewed by Hollywood columnist Sheilah Graham in 1947: “Cass Timberlane ... was written for Jennifer Jones. But because we had Spencer

222

Jennifer Jones

Tracy for the judge, we had to make his part more important than it was in the book. Then Jennifer thought her part was too unimportant and she bailed out.”6 Lana Turner accepted the role Jones turned down, but not before Vivien Leigh was approached and Virginia Grey tested. The film failed to make any great impact at the box office. Selznick had toyed with the idea of a film based on the life of Jehanne d’Arc, the fifteenth-century farmer’s daughter from Lorraine, France, who after hearing voices took command of a French army and led them to victory against the English. Her eventual fate (burned at the stake) resulted in her canonization by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. The character had similarities to Bernadette Soubirous: an ordinary girl from the French countryside having mystical visions that commanded her to perform certain tasks and instilled in her a sense of destiny. On January 31, 1946, Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times announced that Jones would be playing the title role in Joan of Arc. Roberto Rossellini was planning a neo-realist version of Joan of Arc with Selznick and had sent Jones a wire congratulating her on Duel in the Sun with the hope that he would be “working with you soon.” But Selznick backed away from the project and Jones’ connection to the film was forgotten as Ingrid Bergman took center stage following her acclaimed performance as the Saint in Maxwell Anderson’s play Joan of Lorraine in 1947. Commenting on the Bergman film version, Jones said, “I always wanted to play it. It reminds me somewhat of Bernadette. But I’m sure I could never had handled it as well as Bergman. I think she is a wonderful actress.” 7 Although Jones would have been very effective as the farmer’s daughter, it is difficult to imagine Jones being as convincing as Joan the Warrior in full armor leading her troops into battle. Selznick received a treatment for Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles from writer Allan Scott in March 1946. The script appealed to Selznick, Jones and director William Dieterle. Selznick envisioned placing Jones alongside James Mason in the picture. No expense was spared as Selznick ordered second unit photography of scenic locations in England.8 It was a role that would be ideally suited to Jones’ talents but just as her interest soared at the prospects of working in England, Selznick went cold on the project. It was a pattern of behavior he would repeat. And with the loss of interest came a loss on his $115,000 investment. In the latter months of 1946, Selznick began work on a proposed production of Little Women with Jones as Jo March, playing alongside Diana Lynn, Bambi Lynn and Anne Revere. Mervyn LeRoy would direct the Louisa May Alcott classic. Costume fittings were made, sets built and footage was shot before a studio strike brought a halt to production.9 Selznick sold the

29. The Films That Got Away

223

rights to MGM in March 1948 and Jo was played by June Allyson. In 1961 Jones stated, “I loved Katharine Hepburn so much I was afraid I’d copy her,”10 indicating she had deep reservations about accepting the part previously played so memorably by Hepburn in George Cukor‘s 1933 film. Another project linked to Jones was an adaptation of Christine Weston’s novel The Dark Wood, about the shadowy romance of a World War II widow living on the coast of Maine. Darryl F. Zanuck bought the screen rights to the novel in 1946 and originally announced Tyrone Power and Maureen O’Hara for the lead roles. By April 1947 Jones had replaced O’Hara as the lead. It was reported by Louella O. Parsons in November 1947 that Power had met with director Robert Webb in Rome where they shot backgrounds for the film.11 The 20th Century–Fox feature was to be completed in Hollywood with Jones and Ethel Waters, who had been cast as Octavia. Jean Wallace was also testing for a part. By March 1948 John Garfield was being mentioned as a replacement for Power. The film was ultimately shelved. Father Edwin F. Murphy, pastor of the Blessed Sacrament Church and dean of religious philosophy at Xavier University, New Orleans, entered a contest in 1944 co-sponsored by Extension Magazine and Bruce Publishing Company to write a novel based on the life of Mary Magdalene.12 He won with his novel The Scarlet Lily. Extension Magazine serialized the Catholic Literary Guild prize-winning novel in installments between October 1944 and May 1945. Selznick bought the screen rights in October 1944 and cast Ingrid Bergman as Mary Magdalene. In January 1945, newspapers reported that Joseph Cotten had been cast as Tullus, a rich Roman nobleman who has a romantic interest in Mary and a desire to lead her away from Jesus. William Dieterle was slated to direct the film, to be shot in Technicolor. With production ready to go, Selznick was approached by RKO. They offered him $175,000 and the screen rights to Little Women and A Bill of Divorcement in exchange for Ingrid Bergman; RKO wanted her to star as Sister Mary Benedict alongside Bing Crosby in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945). Selznick agreed to the terms and The Scarlet Lily was postponed. Selznick revived the project in April 1952 when he announced he was discussing a co-production deal with Italian producer Giuseppe Amato, known for his work on Tomorrow Is Too Late (1950). Jones would play Mary Magdalene. The deal never materialized and the project was put on hold until 1957 when Selznick announced the script was in the final stages for Mary Magdalene starring Jones. Edward Anhalt was working on a script that involved Magdalene as the lover of Jewish rebel leader Barabbas. She falls in love with Jesus of Nazareth. Henry King was his preferred choice of director. The film was part of a deal with 20th Century–Fox, with production set for 1959.13 The box office failure of A Farewell to Arms (1957) placed Selznick under

224

Jennifer Jones

increased pressure to produce a film with general appeal. When a group of distinguished Biblical scholars and diplomats in Tel Aviv told Selznick the script was anti–Semitic,14 it put an end to Selznick’s plans and the filmed story of Mary Magdalene was finally laid to rest. Had Jones accepted a role in On the Waterfront (1954), her career would have most likely taken her to new levels.15 Instead the 1950s marked a winding-down of her popularity with only a couple of box office hits in the entire decade. Selznick considered On the Waterfront unsuitable material for an actress who was used to star billing. The subject matter was too downbeat and Jones’ character too plain. It was basically a star vehicle for the male lead. Selznick’s reasoning was once again faulty. Eva Marie Saint won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in a standout performance as Edie Doyle. Selznick was clinging to an era of glamour in a post-war world when grittier subjects were becoming more popular. East of Eden (1955) was another lost opportunity; the film, based on John Steinbeck’s novel, is now regarded as a classic. Julie Harris played Carl Trask’s ( James Dean) girlfriend Abra — a role Jones could have handled with ease had she been a few years younger. Although Jones was used to playing roles much younger than herself, she was losing her youthful radiance in the mid–1950s and developing a neurotic sexuality that expressed itself in twitchy facial expressions. Playing opposite Dean would have presented a challenge to Jones but she would most likely have been more interesting than Harris’ rather bland portrayal. In September 1951, Selznick expressed interest in adapting Daphne Du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel as a star vehicle for Jones; nothing came of it. Selznick wrote to Alfred Hitchcock in 1952 suggesting they work on another film together, with Jones as leading lady. Hitchcock failed to respond. He had nothing against Jones but the thought of returning to work under the obsessive and domineering Selznick chilled his bones. Hitchcock had rejected Jones previously for the role of psychiatrist Constance Peterson in Spellbound. Selznick acquired the screen rights to John Van Druten’s romantic comedy Bell Book and Candle in August 1953.16 His ex-wife Irene Mayer had staged the play in New Haven with Rex Harrison and his real-life wife at the time Lilli Palmer. It ran from November to June 1951 and got rave reviews. When Mayer looked to sell the screen rights, Van Druten received an offer from Otto Preminger that was topped by Selznick’s offer of $100,000. Mayer and Van Druten accepted. Selznick saw the potential for Jones to combine her ethereal beauty and sense of mystery with her talent for light comedy first displayed in Cluny Brown and more recently in Beat the Devil. The story of a witch in modern-day New York City casting a spell to get her man would naturally upset the censors and Selznick soon lost interest in the project and

29. The Films That Got Away

225

sold the rights to Columbia in late 1956. The film eventually went into production on February 3, 1958, with Kim Novak as witch Gillian Holroyd and James Stewart as Sheperd Henderson, the object of her affection. In September 1953 Selznick briefly considered Jones for the role of Potiphat’s wife Henet in the proposed Biblical epic Joseph and His Brethren. But dissatisfaction with John Lee Mahin’s script and disagreements with Louis B. Mayer led to Selznick dropping the project. The story eventually reached the screens in November 1960; the Italian production Giuseppe venduto dai fratelli featured Brenda Lee as Henet. Jones was so desperate to land the role in The Barefoot Contessa (1954), she personally visited producer Joe Mankiewicz. By the time Kim Novak was cast in Bell , Book and Candle (1958), David O. Selznick The story of nightclub dancer and Jones had lost interest in the project. Maria Vargas, who becomes a Hollywood star only to grow disillusioned with her new lifestyle and marriage, was a tale Jones could sympathize with. Mankiewicz rejected her in favor of Ava Gardner. In 1954, Emile Zola’s The Human Beast (retitled Human Desire) was a possible project for Jones, if only briefly. Gloria Grahame eventually took the role of murderess Vicki Buckley. I Am a Camera (1955), the dramatization of Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin, was also under consideration, but the female lead went to Julie Harris who repeated the role of Sally Bowles from her Broadway success. With the Mary Magdalene project still in the works in the early 1950s, Jones was offered the role of Magdalene for another project, The Galileans.17 Douglas Sirk was going to direct. The project never made it to production. The role of another Biblical character was under consideration in 1954 when

226

Jennifer Jones

Louella Parson reported Jones was in discussions with producer Charles Feldman for the title role of Ruth.18 Based on the novel The Story of Ruth by Frank Slaughter, the screenplay adaptation by Noel Langley and Maxwell Anderson was complete, with Jules Schermer and Herbert Klein signed to produce the Biblical epic. The proposed film was eventually abandoned. One role was lost due to unfortunate timing. Jones had been cast as Georgie Elgin in The Country Girl (1954) alongside Bing Crosby as her alcoholic husband, attempting to revive his acting career. Jones was ready to start work when she discovered she was pregnant. Grace Kelly replaced her and won an Oscar for her performance. Pulitzer-winning playwright William Inge claimed he wrote the character of Marjorie “Madge” Owens in Picnic with Jones in mind.19 It was therefore only logical that Jones would be considered for the film version. But Jones wouldn’t get the chance to star alongside William Holden for the second time in one year (after Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing). The role went to Kim Novak. Fourteen years younger than Jones, her sex appeal transferred easily to film at a time when Jones was nearing middle age. Jones had also been passed over for the original stage version which premiered on Broadway on February 19, 1953. Twe nt y - t w o - ye a r - o l d Janice Rule played Madge Owens opposite newcomer Paul Newman, making his Broadway debut. Jones’ age had obviously become a factor in casting decisions. In early 1956 it was announced that producer Sam Engel was putting in a pitch for Jones and Holden to star in 20th Century–Fox’s film verAva Gardner was preferred for The Barefoot Con- sion of John P. Marquand’s Stopover Tokyo.20 tessa (1954) despite Jones’ efforts to win the role.

29. The Films That Got Away

227

Joan Collins and Robert Wagner were eventually cast as Tina Llewellyn and Mark Fannon in a tale about a Communist spy ring. Jones was wise to pass on this. Hedda Hopper reported that director Michael Curtiz was in talks with Jones and Selznick in September 1956 about Jones playing the lead in The Helen Morgan Story.21 Doris Day had previously been approached but rejected the role because she felt Morgan’s alcoholic fall from grace wasn’t suited to her screen persona. The role of the Broadway performer known as “The Goddess of the Jazz Age” was eventually taken by Ann Blyth, with Paul Newman as her agent and lover Larry Maddux. Officially Jones passed on the role due Kim Novak’s youth was in her favor during the casting phase of Picnic (1955) as Jones entered to filming conflicts, but Cur- her mid-thirties and lost roles to younger tiz told United Press staff cor- women. (Pictured: Holden, Novak). respondent Aline Mosby in January 1958, “I tested 25 girls and interviewed another 25. I talked to Jennifer Jones (her husband didn’t want her to take the part)....”22 In 1957 Jones agreed to play the role of Lady Brett in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. But after reading the script, Selznick commented in a memo that it “was completely terrible, simply because they had been so faithful to Hemingway....” The script was “Papa-worshipping groveling.” Jones refused to stick to her agreement and backed out of the film. Instead she opted for her husband’s production of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. Years later Jones commented, “One of my many mistakes, one of the biggest.”23 Ava Gardner, who replaced Jones, stated to Bob Thomas in May 1957: “Maybe this isn’t the time for love stories, but I’ve been after the studio for years to get me one. I urged them to buy A Farewell to Arms for me ... they wouldn’t do it. Now it’s too late.”24

228

Jennifer Jones

Other film roles linked to Jones in the 1950s included Anastasia (1956) and The Doctor’s Dilemma (1958). Anastasia, loosely based on the true story of Anna Anderson’s claim to be the daughter of Czar Nicholas II, was a prestigious project. Fox president Spyros Skouras wanted Jones in the lead role, but was outvoted by Darryl Zanuck, producer Buddy Adler et al. Adler initially approved Jones in early 1956 but later successfully pursued the controversial figure of Ingrid Bergman, persuading her to return to the American screen following her self-imposed exile due to her notorious love affair with Roberto Rossellini. Television was still a young medium in the late 1950s. It had a reputation for mediocrity with recycled scripts and short shooting schedules for weekly filmed series that resembled the Republic features and serials Jones began her career with. But in one area television was excelling: Live drama was attracting talent and Jones was interested when her acting coach Lee Strasberg told her he would like to direct her in a version of Jean Cocteau’s The Human Voice.25 Written in 1932, the play is a monologue charting the mental breakdown of a middle-aged woman who loses her lover to another woman. It seemed ideal material for Jones. But Selznick’s negotiating skills fell short yet again and the project died. In 1961 it was announced that Jones would begin work on a new project to be produced by Jerry Wald following completion of filming on Tender Is the Night (1962). Capitol Hill, based on the novel by Andrew Tully, was a love story set in Washington, D.C. Fox never put the project into production. Selznick was still searching for new film projects for his wife in early 1963 and a proposed production deal with MGM looked promising. He suggested that Jones could play Nina Leeds in Strange Interlude.26 Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play, centered on a love triangle, had previously been filmed in 1932 with Norma Shearer and Clark Gable. The production deal fell through. Selznick would never see his wife in another film before his death in 1965. While on location in London, England for The Idol (1966), Jones talked about appearing in a new production based on the life of controversial Canadian-born evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, whose claim of being kidnapped and held hostage for five weeks in 1926 was greeted with skepticism by the police and public alike. Once again the project never materialized, although Jones’ interest in McPherson’s life was given a new twist when in 1967 she almost mirrored McPherson’s premature death of overdose from Seconal tablets. In the late 1970s plans fell through to follow her work with Irwin Allen and Paul Newman on The Towering Inferno with another disaster movie, When Time Ran Out... (1980). Given the fact the film was savaged by critics and ignored by the public, it is just as well Jones stayed away.

29. The Films That Got Away

229

When Jones was told she was too old for the Terms of Endearment (1983) role, Shirley McLaine stepped in to replace her. The film proved to be a huge success and boosted McLaine’s career. (Pictured: McLaine, left, and Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment.)

Seeking a return to acting in the early 1980s, Jones and Norton Simon acquired the screen rights to Larry McMurtry’s Terms of Endearment. Jones approached screenwriter-director James L. Brooks to adapt and direct McMurtry’s novel. Brooks wasn’t thrilled with a storyline that involved cancer but finally accepted. Jones was excited about returning to the screen as the strong-willed Aurora Greenaway until Brooks burst her bubble by telling Jones (then in her early sixties) that he felt she was too old for the role. Jones lost interest and sold the rights to Paramount. The actress who finally took the role, Shirley MacLaine, was approaching fifty at the time. Around the same time, Jones expressed interest in portraying Jean Harris, a headmistress from McLean, Virginia, who in 1981 was found guilty of the second-degree murder of her ex-lover Dr. Herman Tarnower, author of The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet. There was a meeting with producer David Brown (together with a script financed by Norton Simon), but then a made-

230

Jennifer Jones

for-television movie surfaced in 1981 with Ellen Burstyn playing Jean Harris. The People vs. Jean Harris effectively put an end to Jones’ ambitions. The double blow of losing two roles within a year didn’t stop Jones from continuing to look to return to films. In January 1983 it was reported she still “had the signals out” for suitable roles but was being offered “aged, crazy types who look like hell and seem to spend most of the film running wildly down hallways.” Had suitable roles materialized in the early 1980s, Jones might have prolonged her acting career into old age. Instead her film-related experiences in later years involved the occasional appearance at award ceremonies and career tributes to fellow actors Lillian Gish and Gregory Peck. It is somewhat frustrating that her film career ended with an extended cameo appearance in The Towering Inferno. The role of Jean Harris would have given her a chance to play the lead once again and make the film her own. But fate intervened in the same manner it did throughout her career, and films that could have taken her in a new direction fell through the cracks of time. The “What if?” scenario can be both interesting and depressing to ponder. Jones’ film career was frustrating for her loyal audience because she faded too early and too young.

30 Reluctant Sex Symbol The more I consider the career of this girl, the more I’m impressed with her versatility. No characterization seems to be beyond her reach. She’s played ethereal ladies, earthy peasant gals, sexy sirens, “typical” American roles; she’s sparked in comedy and scored in tragedy. In fact, she’s portrayed such an array of diversified characters that, more than any other Hollywood actress perhaps, she’s obscured her off-screen personality. — Jimmie Fidler, “In Hollywood” (February 7, 1949)

In her early film career, Jennifer Jones excelled as the woman with desires boiling beneath the surface: frustrated or trapped by her environment, desiring the forbidden fruit but always falling prey to an overwhelming temptation that results in her destruction. Her screen sexuality often represented a destructive force, a conflict of desire between the good, but boring, and the bad, but exciting, resulting in a tug of war that pulled her in both directions. The dark sensuality always won the war at a cost. In Jones’ film universe, sex was a dangerous activity that entered familiar territory shared by Pearl Chavez, Emma Bovary, Hazel Woodus and Ruby Gentry. But Jones also represented an ethereal sexuality that lay beyond the senses and gave the illusion of hovering between the mystical and the flesh. The skill of the cameraman to create soft, otherworldly imagery helped the illusion but Jones facilitated it with her own unique aura. Jones’ sexuality came from her emotional response to situations. Her sexuality seemed to come out of a neurotic impulse to court danger. The standards of the time dictated that women who followed their desires always met with moral decay or death. Women must live their lives within strict boundaries of conduct or suffer the consequences. Jones was at her best playing a woman whose behavior placed her on the perimeter of acceptable society — a woman who lives and loves with an intensity born out of needs and the desire for personal experience outside the rigid boundaries of class. 231

232

Jennifer Jones

Bernadette Soubirous was mocked for her visions of a lady in a grotto. Singleton, a woman without a memory, was sentenced for the murder of her husband, searching for the truth, her identity and her past. Pearl Chavez, the half-caste outsider, was unable to control her desire for a dangerous and abusive man. Cluny Brown was the eccentric free-thinking plumber’s daughter, with a desire to live outside her class. Emma Bovary was a woman bored with her marriage and environment, seeking lovers and sensual pleasures in a selfcentered path of destruction. Jennie Appleton was the girl out of time trying to capture the flowing essence of love. China Valdes, the Cuban rebel girl, sought to overthrow her government and sacrifice her life for the greater good of the people. Hazel Woodus, the free-spirited country girl, was ruled by her passions and superstitions, rejecting respectability and boredom for danger and sexual fulfillment. Ruby Gentry, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, fell for a dangerous man and proved to be a catalyst for destructive emotions. Mary Forbes, the bored Philadelphia housewife, committed adultery while on vacation in Italy and Dr. Han Suyin was the Eurasian split between two worlds. In later years, with pointless attempts at stopping the passage of time with the soft focus lens, Jones’ neurotic ticks and mannerisms came to the fore. Her youth receded to be replaced with anguished expressions that found a perfect home in the character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Nicole Diver. The death of Jones’ mentor David O. Selznick cast her adrift and only the love of another older man saw her regain her sense of purpose. The screen no longer loved her image. Her time had gone and, like Jennie Appleton, Jennifer Jones the screen idol drifted into our awareness like a ghostly presence from the past, alive and vital on film until the image fades. Jennifer Jones now lives only in the memory, waiting for her admirers to bring her to life once again.

Filmography New Frontier (1939) Released: August 10, 1939; Cast: John Wayne (Stony Brooke), Ray Corrigan (Tucson Smith), Raymond Hatton (Rusty Joslin), Phylis Isley [Jennifer Jones] (Celia Braddock), Eddy Waller (Major Steven Braddock), Sammy McKim (Stevie Braddock), LeRoy Mason (M.C. Gilbert), Harrison Greene (William Proctor), Reginald Barlow ( Judge Bill Lawson), Burr Caruth (Dr. William “Doc” Hall), Dave O’Brien ( Jason Braddock), Hal Price (Sheriff ), Jack Ingram (Harmon), Bud Osborne (Dickson), Charles Whittaker (Turner); Credits: Screenplay: Betty Burbridge, Luci Ward; Based on characters created by William Colt MacDonald; Musical Director: William Lava; Director of Photography: Reggie Lanning; Film Editor: Tony Martinelli; Associate Producer: William Berke; Director: George Sherman; 57 min.; Production and Distribution Company: Republic Pictures Corp.; B/W.

Dick Tracy’s G-Men (1939) Released: September 2, 1939; Cast: Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Irving Pichel (Nicolas Zarnoff ), Ted Pearson (Agent Steve Lockwood), Phyllis Isley [Jennifer Jones] (Gwen Andrews), Walter Miller (Robal), George Douglas (Sondoval); Credits: Screenplay: Barry Shipman, Franklin Adreon, Rex Taylor, Ronald Davidson, Sol Shor; Director of Photography: William Nobles; Film Editors: Bernard Loftus, William Thompson, Edward Todd; Associate Producer: Robert M. Beche; Directors: William Witney, John English; 15 chapters; 302 min.; Production and Distribution Company: Republic Pictures Corp.; B/W. Chapter titles: 1. The Master Spy; 2. Captured; 3. False Signal; 4. The Enemy Strikes; 5. Crack-up; 6. Sunken Peril; 7. Tracking the Enemy; 8. Chamber of Doom; 9. Flames of Jeopardy; 10. Crackling Fury; 11. Caverns of Peril; 12. Fight in the Sky; 13. The Fatal Ride; 14. Getaway; 15. The Last Stand.

The Song of Bernadette (1943) Released: December 25, 1943; Cast: William Eythe (Antoine Nicolau), Charles Bickford (Dean Peyramale), Vincent Price (Vital Dutour), Lee J. Cobb (Dr. Dozous), Gladys Cooper (Sister Marie Therese Vauzous), Anne Revere (Louise Soubirous), Roman Bohnen (Francois Soubirous), Mary Anderson ( Jeanne Abadie), Patricia Morison (Empress Eugenie), Aubrey Mather (Mayor Alphonse Lacade), Charles Dingle ( Jacomet), Edith Barrett (Croisine Bouhouhorts), Sig Ruman (Louis Bouriette), Marcel Dalio (Callet), Pedro de Cordoba (Dr. Le Crampe), Jerome Cowan (Emperor Louis Napoleon III), and Introducing, by Arrangement with David O. Selznick, Jennifer Jones (Bernadette); Credits: Screenplay: George Seaton; Based on the novel by Franz Werfel; Producer: William Perlberg; Director of Photography: Arthur C. Miller; Art Directors: James Basevi, William Darling; Film

233

234

Filmography

Editor; Barbara McLean; Music: Alfred Newman; Director: Henry King; 156 min.; Production and Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; B/W.

Since You Went Away (1944) Released: June, 1944; Cast: Claudette Colbert (Mrs. Anne Hilton), Jennifer Jones ( Jane Deborah Hilton), Joseph Cotten (Lieutenant Tony Willett), Shirley Temple (Bridget “Brig” Hilton), Monty Woolley (Colonel William G. Smollett), Lionel Barrymore (Clergyman), Robert Walker (Corporal William G. Smollett II), Hattie McDaniel (Fidelia), Agnes Moorehead (Mrs. Emily Hawkins), Alla Nazimova (Zofia Koslowska), Albert Bassermann (Dr. Sigmund Gottlieb Golden), Gordon Oliver (Marine Officer), Keenan Wynn (Lieutenant Solomon), Guy Madison (Sailor Harold E. Smith), Craig Stevens (Danny Williams), Lloyd Corrigan (Mr. Mahoney), Jackie Moran ( Johnny Mahoney); Credits: Adaptation: Margaret Buell Wilder, based on her novel; Screenplay- Producer: David O. Selznick; Music: Max Steiner; Directors of Photography: Stanley Cortez, Lee Garmes; Director: John Cromwell; 170 min.; Vanguard Films, Selznick International Pictures; B/W.

The Fighting Generation (1944) Released: 1944; Cast : Jennifer Jones (Nurse’s Aide); Credits: Writer: Stephen Longstreet; Producer: David O. Selznick; Director: Alfred Hitchcock; 52 seconds; RKO Pathe Pictures, Vanguard Films; B/W.

Love Letters (1945) Released: August 25, 1945; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Singleton-Victoria Remington Morland), Joseph Cotten (Alan Quinton) (artists by arrangement with David O. Selznick), Ann Richards (Dilly Carson), Cecil Kellaway (Mack), Gladys Cooper (Beatrice Remington), Anita Louise (Helen Wentworth), Robert Sully (Roger Morland), Reginald Denny (Defense Counsel Phillips), Ernest Cossart (Bishop), Byron Barr (Derek Quinton); Credits: Screenplay: Ayn Rand; Based on the novel by Chris Massie; Music: Victor Young; Director of Photography: Lee Garmes; Art Directors: Hans Dreier, Roland Anderson; Film Editor: Anne Bauchens; Producer: Hal B. Wallis; Director: William Dieterle; 101 min.; Production Company: Hal Wallis Productions Inc.; Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures Inc.; B/W.

Cluny Brown (1946) Released: June 3, 1946; Cast: Charles Boyer (Adam Belinski), Jennifer Jones (Cluny Brown) (by arrangement with David O. Selznick), Peter Lawford (Andrew Carmel), Helen Walker (Elizabeth “Betty” Cream), Reginald Gardiner (Hilary Ames), Reginald Owen (Sir Henry Carmel), Sir C. Aubrey Smith (Colonel Charles Duff Graham), Richard Haydn ( Jonathan W. Wilson), Margaret Bannerman (Lady Alice Carmel), Sara Allgood (Mrs. Maile), Ernest Cossart (Syrett), Florence Bates (Dowager), Una O’Connor (Mrs. Wilson), Queenie Leonard (Weller), Billy Bevan (Uncle Arn), Michael Dyne ( John Frewen), Christopher Severn (Master Snaffle); Credits: Screenplay: Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt; Based on the novel by Margery Sharp; Music: Cyril Mockridge; Director of Photography: Joseph La Shelle; Art Directors: Lyle Wheeler, J. Russell Spencer; Film Editor: Dorothy Spencer; Producer-Director: Ernst Lubitsch; 100 min.; Production and Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; B/W.

American Creed (1946) Released: 1946; Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Eddie Cantor, Katharine Hepburn as Narrator, Van Johnson, Jennifer Jones, Walter Pidgeon, Edward G. Robinson, James Stewart,

Filmography

235

Shirley Temple; Credits: Producer: David O. Selznick; Director: Robert Stevenson; 20 min; B/W.

Duel in the Sun (1946) Released: December 31, 1946; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Pearl Chavez), Joseph Cotten ( Jesse McCanles), Gregory Peck (Lewton “Lewt” McCanles), Lionel Barrymore (Senator Jackson McCanles), Herbert Marshall (Scott Chavez), Lillian Gish (Laura Belle McCanles), Walter Huston ( Jubal Crabbe), Charles Bickford (Sam Pierce), Harry Carey (Lem Smoot), Joan Tetzel (Helen Langford), Tilly Losch (Mrs. Chavez), Butterfly McQueen (Vashti), Scott McKay (Sid), Otto Kruger (Mr. Langford), Sidney Blackmer (The Lover), Charles Dingle (Sheriff Hardy); Credits: Adaptation: Oliver H. P. Garrett; Suggested by the novel by Niven Busch; Screenplay: David O. Selznick; Music: Dimitri Tiomkin; Songs: “Gotta Get Me Somebody to Love,” music and lyrics by Allie Wrubel, “Headin’ Home,” music by Dimitri Tiomkin, lyrics by Frederick Herbert; Directors of Photography: Lee Garmes, Ray Rennahan, Hal Rosson; Art Directors: James Basevi; Supervising Film Editor: Hal C. Kern; Producer: David O. Selznick; Director: King Vidor; 134 min.; Production Company: Vanguard Films Inc.; Distribution Company: Selznick Releasing Organization; Technicolor.

Portrait of Jennie (1948) Released: December 25, 1948; Cast: Jennifer Jones ( Jennie Appleton), Joseph Cotten (Eben Adams), Ethel Barrymore (Miss Spinney), Lillian Gish (Mother Mary of Mercy), Cecil Kellaway (Mr. Matthews), David Wayne (Gus O’Toole), Albert Sharpe (Mr. Moore), Henry Hull (Eke), Florence Bates (Mrs. Jekes), Felix Bressart (Pete), Clem Bevans (Captain Catch Cobb), Maude Simmons (Clara Morgan), Esther Somers (Mrs. Bunce), John Farrell (Policeman), Robert Dudley (Old Mariner); Credits: Adaptation: Leonardo Bercovici; Based on the novel by Robert Nathan; Screenplay: Paul Osborn, Peter Berneis; Music: Dimitri Tiomkin; Director of Photography: Joseph August; Film Editor: William Morgan; Producer: David O. Selznick; Director: William Dieterle; 86 min.; Production Company: Vanguard Films Inc.; Distribution Company: Selznick Releasing Organization; B&W/Technicolor/Sepia.

We Were Strangers (1949) Released: April 27, 1949; Cast : Jennifer Jones (by arrangement with David O. Selznick) (China Valdés), John Garfield (by arrangement with Roberts Productions, Inc.) (Anthony L. “Tony” Fenner), Pedro Armendáriz (Armando Ariete), Gilbert Roland (Guillermo Montilla), Ramon Novarro (Chief ), Wally Cassell (Miguel), David Bond (Ramón Sánchez), Jose Perez (Toto), Morris Ankrum (Mr. Seymour); Credits: Screenplay: John Huston, Peter Viertel; Based on the novel Rough Sketch by Robert Sylvester; Music: George Antheil; Director of Photography: Russell Metty; Film Editor: Al Clark; Producer: S. P. Eagle; Director: John Huston; 106 min.; Production Company: Horizon Pictures; Distribution Company: Columbia Pictures Corporation; B/W.

Madame Bovary (1949) Released: August 25, 1949; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Emma Bovary), Van Heflin (Charles Bovary), James Mason (Gustave Flaubert), Louis Jourdan (Rodolphe Boulanger), Christopher Kent (Leon Dupuis), Gene Lockhart ( J. Homais), Frank Allenby (Lheureux), Gladys Cooper (Mme. Dupuis), John Abbott (Mayor Tuvache), Henry Morgan (Hyppolite), George Zucco (Dubocage), Ellen Corby (Felicite), Eduard Franz (Rouault), Henri Letondal (Guillaumin), Esther Somers (Mme. Lefrancois), Frederic Tozere (Pinard), Paul Cavanagh (Marquis D’Andervilliers), Larry Simms ( Justin), Dawn Kinney (Berthe Bovary), Vernon

236

Filmography

Steele (Priest); Credits: Screenplay: Robert Ardrey; Based on the novel by Gustave Flaubert; Music: Miklos Rozsa; Director of Photography: Robert Planck; Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons, Jack Martin Smith; Choreography: Jack Donohue; Film Editor: Ferris Webster; Producer: Pandro S. Berman; Director: Vincente Minnelli; 114 min.; Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.; Distribution Company: Loew’s Inc.; B/W.

Gone to Earth (1950) Released: September 19, 1950; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Hazel Woodus Marston), David Farrar ( John “Jack” Reddin), Cyril Cusack (Rev. Edward Marston), Sybil Thorndike (Mrs. Marston), Edward Chapman (Mr. James), Esmond Knight (Abel Woodus), Hugh Griffith (Andrew Vessons), George Cole (Albert); Based on the novel by Mary Webb; Music: Brian Easdale; Director of Photography: Christopher Challis; Film Editor: Reginald Mills; Executive Producers: Alexander Korda, David O. Selznick; Writer-Producer-Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger; 110 min.; Production Company: The Archers, London Film Productions, Vanguard Films; Distribution Company: British Lion Film Corp.; Technicolor.

The Wild Heart (1952) Released: May 28, 1952; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Hazel Woodus), David Farrar ( John “Jack” Reddin), Cyril Cusack (Edward Marston), Sybil Thorndike (Mrs. Marston), Edward Chapman (Mr. James), Esmond Knight (Abel Woodus), Hugh Griffith (Andrew Vessons), George Cole (Cousin Albert), Frances Clare (Miss Amelia Clomber), Valentine Dunn (Martha), Joseph Cotten (Narrator); Based on the novel by Mary Webb; Music: Brian Easdale; Director of Photography: Christopher Challis; Film Editor: Reginald Mills; Executive Producer: David O. Selznick; Producers: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger; Writers-Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Rouben Mamoulian; 82 min.; Production Company: The Archers, London Film Productions, Vanguard Films; Distribution: RKO Radio Pictures; Technicolor.

Carrie (1952) Released: July 16, 1952; Cast: Laurence Olivier (George Hurstwood), Jennifer Jones (Caroline “Carrie” Meeber-Hurstwood), Miriam Hopkins ( Julie Hurstwood), Eddie Albert (Charles Drouet), Basil Ruysdael (Mr. Fitzgerald), Ray Teal (Allen-Bondsman), Barry Kelley (Slawson), Sara Berner (Mrs. Oransky), William Reynolds (George Hurstwood, Jr.), Mary Murphy ( Jessica Hurstwood), Harry Hayden (O’Brien), Charles Halton (Factory Foreman), Walter Baldwin (Carrie’s Father), Dorothy Adams (Carrie’s Mother), Jacqueline de Wit (Carrie’s Sister Minnie), Harlan Briggs ( Joe Brant), Melinda Plowman (Little Girl), Donald Kerr (Slawson’s Bartender), Lester Sharpe (Mr. Blum), Don Beddoe (Mr. Goodman), John Alvin (Stage Manager), Royal Dano (Captain); Credits: Screenplay: Ruth Goetz & Augustus Goetz; Based on the novel Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser; Music: David Raksin; Director of Photography: Victor Milner; Art Directors: Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson; Costume Design: Edith Head; Film Editor: Robert Swink; Producers: Lester Koenig, William Wyler; Director: William Wyler; 118 min.; Production and Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures Corp.; B/W.

Ruby Gentry (1952) Released: December 25, 1952; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Ruby Corey-Gentry), Charlton Heston (Boake Tackman), Karl Malden ( Jim Gentry), Tom Tully ( Jud Corey), Bernard Phillips (Dr. Saul Manfred/Narrator), James Anderson ( Jewel Corey), Josephine Hutchinson (Letitia Gentry), Phyllis Avery (Tracy McAuliffe), Herbert Heyes ( Judge Tackman), Myra Marsh (Ma Corey), Charles Cane (Cullen McAuliffe), Sam Flint (Neil Fallgren),

Filmography

237

Frank Wilcox (Clyde Pratt); Credits: Screenplay: Sylvia Richards; Based on a story by Arthur Fitz-Richard; Music: Heinz Roemheld; Director of Photography: Russell Harlan; Art Director: Dan Hall; Film Editor: Terry Morse; Producers: Joseph Bernhard, King Vidor; Director: King Vidor; 82 min.; Production Company: Bernhard-Vidor Productions Inc.; Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; B/W.

Stazione Termini (1953) aka Indiscretion of an American Wife (1955) Released: April 2, 1953; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Mary Forbes), Montgomery Clift (Giovanni Doria), Gino Cervi (Police Commissioner), Dick Beymer (Paul); Story: Cesare Zavattini; Screenplay: Truman Capote, Luigi Chiarini, Giogio Prosperi; Music: Alessandro Cicognini; Director of Photography: G.R. Aldo; Film Editors: Jean Barker, Eraldo Da Roma; Producer-Director: Vittorio De Sica; 90 min. (63 min. in the U.S.); Produzioni De Sica, Columbia Pictures Corp; Distribution Company: Columbia Pictures Corp.; B/W.

Beat the Devil (1953) Released: November 26, 1953 (London); Cast : Humphrey Bogart (Billy Dannreuther), Jennifer Jones (Mrs. Gwendolen Chelm), Gina Lollobrigida (Maria Dannreuther), Robert Morley (Peterson), Peter Lorre ( Julius O’Hara), Edward Underdown (Harry Chelm), Ivor Barnard (Major Jack Ross), Marco Tulli (Ravello), Bernard Lee (Inspector Jack Clayton), Saro Urzi (Captain of S.S. Nyanga), Mario Perrone (Purser); Credits: Screenplay: Truman Capote, John Huston; Based on the novel by James Helvick; Music: Franco Mannino; Director of Photography: Oswald Morris; Art Director: Wilfred Shingleton; Film Editor: Ralph Kemplen; Associate Producer: Jack Clayton; Director: John Huston; 89 min.; Production Company: Santana Pictures Inc., Romulus Films Ltd., Rizzoli-Haggiag, DEAR Film; Distribution Company: United Artists Corp.; B/W.

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) Released: August 18, 1955; Cast: William Holden (Mark Elliott), Jennifer Jones (Dr. Han Suyin), Torin Thatcher (Mr. Humphrey Palmer-Jones), Isobel Elsom (Adeline PalmerJones), Murray Matheson (Dr. John Keith), Virginia Gregg (Ann Richards), Richard Loo (Robert Hung ), Soo Yong (Nora Hung ), Philip Ahn (Third Uncle), Jorja Curtright (Suzanne), Donna Martell (Suchen); Credits: Screenplay: John Patrick; Based on the book by Han Suyin; Music: Alfred Newman; Song: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,” music and lyrics by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster; Director of Photography: Leon Shamroy; Art Directors: Lyle R. Wheeler, George W. Davis; Film Editor: William Reynolds; Producer: Buddy Adler; Director: Henry King; 102 min.; Production and Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; CinemaScope; De Luxe Color.

Good Morning , Miss Dove (1955) Released: November 23, 1955; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Miss Dove), Robert Stack (Dr. Thomas Baker), Kipp Hamilton (Virginia “Jincey” Baker), Robert Douglas ( John Porter), Peggy Knudsen (Nurse Billie Jean Green), Marshall Thompson (Wilfred Banning “Wolf ” Pendleton III), Chuck Connors (William Holloway), Biff Elliot (Reverend Alexander Burnham), Jerry Paris (Maurice “Rab” Levine), Mary Wickes (Miss Lorraine Ellwood); Credits: Screenplay: Eleanore Griffin; Based on the novel by Frances Gray Patton; Music: Leigh Harline; Director of Photography: Leon Shamroy; Art Directors: Lyle R. Wheeler, MarkLee Kirk; Film Editor: William Reynolds; Producer: Samuel G. Engel; Director: Henry Koster; 107 min.; Production and Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; CinemaScope; De Luxe Color.

238

Filmography

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) Released: April 12, 1956; Cast: Gregory Peck (Tom Rath), Jennifer Jones (Betsy Rath), Fredric March (Ralph Hopkins), Marisa Pavan (Maria Montagne), Lee J. Cobb ( Judge Bernstein), Ann Harding (Helen Hopkins), Keenan Wynn (Sgt. Caesar Gardella), Gene Lockhart (Bill Hawthorne), Gigi Perreau (Susan Hopkins), Portland Mason ( Janey Rath), Arthur O’Connell (Gordon Walker), Henry Daniell (Bill Ogden), Connie Gilchrist (Mrs. Manter), Joseph Sweeney (Edward Schultz), Sandy Descher (Barbara), Mickey Maga (Pete); Screenplay: Nunnally Johnson; Based on the novel by Sloan Wilson; Music: Bernard Herrmann; Director of Photography: Charles G. Clarke; Art Directors: Lyle R. Wheeler, Jack Martin Smith; Film Editor: Dorothy Spencer; Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck; Director: Nunnally Johnson; 153 min.; Production and Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; CinemaScope; De Luxe Color

The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957) Released: January 17, 1957; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Elizabeth Barrett-Browning), John Gielgud (Edward Moulton-Barrett), Bill Travers (Robert Browning), Virginia McKenna (Henrietta Barrett), Susan Stephen (Bella), Vernon Gray (Captain Surtees Cook), Jean Anderson (Wilson), Maxine Audley (Arabel), Leslie Phillips (Harry Bevan), Laurence Naismith (Dr. Chambers), Moultrie Keisall (Dr. Ford-Waterlow), Michael Brill (George), Kenneth Fortescue (Octavius), Nicholas Hawtrey (Henry), Richard Thorp (Alfred), Keith Baxter (Charles), Brian Smith (Septimus), Flush the Dog (Flush); Screenplay: John Dighton; Based on the play by Rudolf Besier; Music: Bronislau Kaper; Director of Photography: F.A. Young; Art Director: Alfred Junge; Costume Design: Elizabeth Haffenden; Film Editor: Frank Clarke; Producer: Sam Zimbalist; Director: Sidney Franklin; 106 min.; Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.; Distribution Company: Loew’s Inc.; Metrocolor.

A Farewell to Arms (1957) Released: December 14, 1957; Cast: Rock Hudson (Lt. Frederick Henry), Jennifer Jones (Catherine Barkley), Vittorio De Sica (Major Alessandro Rinaldi), Oscar Homolka (Dr. Emerich), Mercedes McCambridge (Miss Van Campen), Elaine Stritch (Helen Ferguson), Kurt Kasznar (Bonello), Victor Francen (Colonel Valentini), Franco Interlinghi (Aymo), Leopoldo Triesye (Passini), Jose Nieto (Major Stampi), Georges Brehat (Captain Bassi), Johanna Hofer (Mrs. Zimmerman), Eduard Linkers (Lt. Zimmerman), Eva Kotthaus (Delivery Room Nurse), Alberto Sordi (Father Galli); Credits: Screenplay: Ben Hecht; Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway and the play by Laurence Stallings; Music: Mario Nascimbene; Directors of Photography: Oswald Morris, Piero Portalupi; Art Directors: Mario Garbuglia; Film Editors: John M. Foley, Gerard J. Wilson; Producers: David O. Selznick, Arthur Fellows; Director: Charles Vidor; 152 min.; Production Company: Selznick Co. Inc., 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; Distribution Company: 20th Century– Fox Film Corp.; CinemaScope; De Luxe Color.

Tender Is the Night (1962) Released: January 19, 1962; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Nicole Diver), Jason Robards Jr. (Dr. Richard Diver), Joan Fontaine (Baby Warren), Tom Ewell (Abe North), Cesare Danova (Tommy Barban), Jill St. John (Rosemary Hoyt), Paul Lukas (Dr. Dohmier), Bea Benaderet (Mrs. McKisco); Credits: Screenplay: Ivan Moffat; Music: Bernard Herrmann; Director of Photography: Leon Shamroy; Editor: William Reynolds; Producers: Henry T. Weinstein, Peter Levathes; Director: Henry King; 142 min.; Production and Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox; CinemaScope; Deluxe Color.

Filmography

239

The Idol (1966) Released: August 10, 1966; Cast : Jennifer Jones (Carol Ainslee), Michael Parks (Marco), John Leyton (Timothy), Jennifer Hilary (Sarah), Guy Doleman (Martin Livesey), Natasha Pyne (Rosalind), Jack Watson (Police Inspector), Jeremy Bulloch (Lewis), Gordon Gostelow (Simon), Priscilla Morgan (Rosie), Edna Morris (Mrs. Muller), Peter Porteous (Tommy), Tina Williams (Dorothea); Credits: Screenplay: Millard Lampell; Based on the original story by Ugo Liberatore; Music: John Dankworth; Director of Photography: Ken Higgins; Art Directors; George Provis; Film Editor: Jack Slade; Executive Producer: Joseph E. Levine; Producer: Leonard Lightstone; Director: Daniel Petrie; U.S. 107 min.; UK: 111 min.; Production Company: Embassy Pictures Corp., Paramount British Pictures Corp.; Distribution Company: Embassy Pictures Corp., UK; B/W.

Angel, Angel, Down We Go (1969) Released: August 19, 1969; Cast: Jennifer Jones (Astrid Steele), Jordan Christopher (Bogart Peter Stuyvesant), Roddy McDowall (Santro), Holly Near (Tara Nicole Steele), Lou Rawls ( Joe), Charles Aidman (Willy Steele), Davey Davison (Anna Livia), Marty Brill (Maitre D’), Danielle Aubry (Paulette), Sandrine Gobet (Tara Nicole [Age 3]); Credits: Director of Photography: John F. Warren; Film Editor: Eve Newman; Music: Fred Karger; Executive Producer: Sam Katzman; Producer: Jerome F. Katzman; Writer-Director: Robert Thom; 93 min.; Production Company: Four-Leaf Productions; Distribution Company: American International Pictures; Color.

The Towering Inferno (1974) Released: December 10, 1974; Cast: Steve McQueen (Fire Chief Michael O’Hallorhan), Paul Newman (Doug Roberts), William Holden ( Jim Duncan), Faye Dunaway (Susan), Fred Astaire (Harlee Claiborne), Susan Blakely (Patty Duncan Simmons), Richard Chamberlain (Roger Simmons), Jennifer Jones (Liselotte Mueller), O. J. Simpson (Harry Jernigan), Robert Vaughn (Senator Gary Parker), Robert Wagner (Dan Bigelow); Credits: Screenplay: Stirling Silliphant; Based on the Novels by Richard Martin Stern, Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson; Music: John Williams; Director of Photography: Fred Koenekamp; Film Editors: Carl Kress, Harold F. Kress; Producer: Irwin Allen; Director: John Gullermin; 165 min.; Production Companies: Irwin Allen Productions, 20th Century–Fox, Warner Bros.; Distribution Company: 20th Century–Fox Film Corp.; De Luxe Color.

This page intentionally left blank

Appendix: Jennifer Jones Credits and Memorabilia Jennifer Jones Theater Credits This Thing Called Love (Summer 1937) The Mansfield Players. The Bishop Misbehaves (October-November 1938) The Cherry Lane Theatre. Hello Out There (September 10, 1941) Lobrero Theatre, Santa Barbara, California. Cast: Phylis Walker [Jennifer Jones] (The Girl), Harry Bratsburg [Harry Morgan] (The Man); Credits: Writer: William Saroyan; Co-Producer: Alfred de Liagre; Producer-Director: John Houseman.

Serena Blandish (August 10–15, 1948) La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, California. Cast: Jennifer Jones (Serena Blandish), Louis Jourdan (Lord Ivor Cream), Constance Collier (Countess Flor di Foro), Mildred Natwick, Reginald Owen, Gar Moore; Credits: Writer: S. N. Behrman; Based on the novel by Enid Bagnold; Costume Design: Jacques Fath; Director: Mel Ferrer.

Portrait of a Lady (November 11–21, 1954: Boston; December 21–25, 1954: New York). Colonial Theatre, Boston, MA; ANTA Theatre, New York, NY. Cast: Jennifer Jones (Isabel Archer), Robert Flemyng (Gilbert Osmond), Cathleen Nesbitt (Countess Gemini), Eric Fleming [Grant Sullivan in Boston] (Caspar Goodwood), Peter Pagan (Lord Warburton), Barbara O’Neil (Serena Merle), Halliwell Hobbes (Mr. Touchett), Douglas Watson (Ralph Touchett), Kathleen Comegys [Eva Leonard-Boyne in Boston] (Mrs. Touchett), Jan Ferrand (Henrietta Stackpole), Marcia Morris (Pansy); Credits: Writer: William Archibald; Based on the novel by Henry James; Producers: Lyn Austin, Thomas Noyes and The Producers Theatre; Costume Design: Cecil Beaton; Director: José Quintero.

The Man with the Perfect Wife (March 22–27, March 30-April 11, 1965). Royal Poinciana Playhouse, Palm Beach, Florida. Cast: Jennifer Jones (Erica), Barry Morse (Dr. Calvin Bishop), Morris Carnovsky (Dr. Garland), Ronald Evans (Dr. Glassey), Murray Hamilton, Laurie Main, Heywood Hale Broun, Ruth McDevitt; Credits: Writer: Patricia Joudrey; Producers: Zev Bufman, Stan Seiden, James Riley; Director: Windsor Lewis.

The Country Girl (September 29-October 16, 1966) City Center, New York City, NY. Cast: Jennifer Jones (Georgie Elgin), Rip Torn (Bernie Dodd), Joseph Anthony (Frank Elgin), Richard Beymer (Paul Unger), Robin Strasser (Nancy Stoddard), Jack Somack (Phil Cook), Walter Lott (Ralph), Walter Allen (Larry); Credits: Writer: Clifford Odets; Producer: Lee Strasberg; Costume Design: Audre; Director: Martin Fried.

241

Appendix

242

Jennifer Jones Radio Credits The Phylis Isley Radio Theatre (October-December, 1938). Your Hollywood Newsgirl (March 25, 1942). The Bob Hope Show ( January 11, 1944) 30 min. The Radio Hall of Fame (February 29, 1944); The Song of Bernadette (1:12); Cast: Jennifer Jones (Bernadette Soubirous), Charles Bickford (Dean of Lourdes); Host: Deems Taylor; Based on the novel by Franz Werfel; Music: Alfred Newman; Producer: William A. Beecher; NBC; 60 min. [Song is 20 min.] The Star and the Story (May 21, 1944) A Star Is Born (1:16) Host: Walter Pidgeon; Starring Jennifer Jones (Esther Blodgett), Walter Pidgeon (Norman Maine); CBS; 30 min. United Nations Tribute to China ( July 8, 1944). Lux Radio Theatre (October 16, 1944); Seventh Heaven; Jennifer Jones (Diane), Van Johnson (Chico), Jean Hersholt (Father Cheviot), Billy Gilbert (Papa Boul); Based on the story by Austin Strong; CBS; 60 min. The March of Dimes ( January 22, 1947); The Man Without a Country; Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotten; Based on the story by Edward Everett Hale; Music: Dimitri Tiomkin; NBC; 30 min. The Bob Hope Show (February 4, 1947). Academy Awards (March 21, 1956).

Laserdiscs, Videos & DVDs The majority of the films of Jennifer Jones can be found on DVD with some exceptions from later in her career. Her films can also be found on LaserDiscs and video. Many DVDs include extras such as theatrical trailers, contemporary footage or voiceover commentary which usually add to the enjoyment and appreciation of the film.

LASERDISCS Carrie. “Great American Writers” series; Paramount Home Video; Digital Monoraul; NTSC; Two Sides; Extended Play; Screen Ratio: 1:33:1; Catalog #: LV5123; 118 min.; B&W; Release: September 8, 1991. Duel in the Sun. Pioneer; Two Sides; Extended Play; Screen Ratio: Academy (4:3); PAL; Catalog # PLFMB31031; 125 min.; Color; Release: UK Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing. CBS/Fox Video; Stereo; Extended Play; Screen Ratio: 1:33:1; Full Screen; Catalog #: 1039–80; 102 min.; Color. Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing. Pioneer LDC; 102 min; Catalog #: SF047–1652; Color; Release: 1989 [Japan]. Madame Bovary. MGM/UA Home Video; Digital Monoraul; NTSC; Two Sides; Extended Play. Catalog #: ML 100102; 114 min.; B&W.

Appendix

243

Since You Went Away. CBS/Fox Home Video; Digital Monoraul; NTSC; Four Sides; Extended Play; Screen Ratio: 1:33:1 Full Screen; Catalog #: 8082–80; 179 min.; B&W; Release: January 6, 1991. The Song of Bernadette. CBS/Fox Home Video; Digital Monoraul; NTSC; Two Sides; Extended Play; Screen Ratio: 1:33:1 Full Screen; Catalog #: 2904; 156 min.; B&W; Release: December 31, 1990. The Towering Inferno. Warner Home Video; Two Disc; Catalog #: NJL-11253; 158 min.; Color; Release: 1988 [Japan].

VIDEOS Beat the Devil. Echo Bridge Home Entertainment; Full Screen Format 1.33:1; 93 min.; B&W; NTSC; Dolby Mono; Release: 1999. Carrie. “Great American Writers” series; Paramount Home Video; 118 min.; B&W; NTSC; Release: May 30, 1991. Dick Tracy’s G-Men. United Home Video; NTSC; 300 min.; B&W; Release: January 7, 2003. Duel In The Sun. Collector’s “Western” Edition; Anchor Bay; NTSC; Digitally Remastered; Full Screen; 129 min.; Color; Release: August 11, 1998. A Farewell to Arms. 20th Century–Fox Studio Classics; NTSC; 146 min.; Color; Release: May 20, 2003. Gone to Earth. The Film Collection; PAL; 110 min; Digitally Re-mastered; Color; Release: UK. Indiscretion of an American Wife. Starz-Anchor Bay; NTSC; 63 min.; Digitally Remastered; B&W; Release: October 10, 2000. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing. 20th Century–Fox Studio Classics; NTSC; 102 min.; Color; Release: May 6, 2003. Love Letters. MCA Universal Home Video; NTSC; 101 min; B&W; Release: February 17, 1998. Madame Bovary. MGM-Warner Home Video; NTSC; 115 min.; B&W; Release: September 22, 1999. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. 20th Century–Fox Studio Classics; NTSC; 153 min.; Color; Release: October 7, 1997. New Frontier [Frontier Horizon]; Spotlite Video; NTSC; Mono; 57 min.; B&W; Release: January 1, 1998. Portrait of Jennie. Starz-Anchor Bay; NTSC; 86 min.; Digitally Re-mastered; B&WColor; Release: March 30, 1999. Ruby Gentry. Starz-Anchor Bay; NTSC; 82 min.; Digitally Re-mastered; B&W; Release: October 10, 2000. Since You Went Away. Starz-Anchor Bay; NTSC; 172 min.; Digitally Re-mastered; B&W; Release: October 10, 2000.

244

Appendix

The Song of Bernadette. 20th Century–Fox Studio Classics; NTSC; 156 min.; B&W; Release: June 3, 2003. The Towering Inferno. 20th Century–Fox Selections; NTSC; 165 min.; Color; Release: January 1, 1998.

DVDS Carrie. Paramount Home Entertainment Full Screen Collection; Extended Version Containing Deleted “Flophouse” Scene; Full Screen Format; Region: NTSC1; Dolby Digital Mono; 121 min.; B&W; Release: 2005. Cluny Brown. BFI; Non-Anamorphic 1.33:1; Region: NTSC2; Dolby Digital Mono; 96 min.; B&W; Release: May 26, 2008 [UK]. Dick Tracy’s G-Men. VCI Entertainment; Full Screen Format 1.33:1; Region: NTSC1; Dolby Mono; 263 min.; B&W; Release: 2008. Duel in The Sun. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment; Full Frame Format; Region: NTSC1; Dolby Digital Mono; 146 min.; Color; Release: 2004. A Farewell to Arms. 20th Century–Fox Home Entertainment; Anamorphic Widescreen Format 2.35:1; Region: NTSC1; 3.0 Dolby Surround; 152 minutes; Color; Release: 2005. Gone to Earth. Sky Home Video Entertainment; Full Screen Format 4:3; Region: All NTSC; Dolby Digital Surround Stereo; Color; Release: 2004 [South Korea]. Indiscretion of an American Wife —Terminal Station. American Broadcasting Companies Inc., The Criterion Collection; Region: NTSC1; Monaural 1.33:1; Dolby Digital Mono; 72 min.; B&W; 89 min.; B&W; Release: 2003. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing. 20th Century–Fox Studio Classics # 7; Anamorphic Widescreen Format 2.55:1; 4.0 Dolby Surround; Region: NTSC1; 102 min.; Color; Release: 2003. Madame Bovary. Turner Entertainment Co.; Region: NTSC1; Dual-Layer Format; Dolby Digital Mono; 114 min.; B&W; Release: 2007. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. 20th Century–Fox Home Entertainment, Studio Classics # 34; Widescreen Format 2.55:1; Dolby Surround; Region: NTSC1; 152 min.; Color; Release: 2005. Portrait of Jennie. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment; Full Screen Format; Region: NTSC1; Dolby Digital Mono; 86 min.; B&W-Color; Release: 2004. Ruby Gentry. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment; Full Screen Format; Region: NTSC1; Dolby Digital Mono; 82 min.; B&W-Release: 2004. Since You Went Away. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment; Full Screen Format; Region: NTSC1; Dolby Digital Mono; 177min.; B&W; Release: 2004. The Song of Bernadette. 20th Century–Fox Studio Classics # 8; Full Frame Format 1.33:1; Dolby Digital Stereo; Region: NTSC1; 156 min.; B&W; Release: 2003. The Towering Inferno. 20th Century–Fox Special Edition; Anamorphic Widescreen

Appendix

245

Format 2.35:1; 4.0 Dolby Surround; Region: NTSC1; 164 min.; Color; Release: 2005. We Were Strangers. Columbia Pictures-Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; Full Screen Format 1.33:1; Region: NTSC1; Mono; 106 min.; B&W; Release: 2005.

Movie Tie-In Novels Love Letters, published by Grossett & Dunlap in a 1944 “Film Classic” hardback edition featuring a photo cover of Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. “The Novel That Inspired the Hal Wallis Production.” Chris Massie’s novel was originally published under the title Pity My Simplicity. Cluny Brown by Margery Sharpe features a photo cover of Jennifer Jones and Charles Boyer in a June 1946 hardback “Movie Edition” published by The Blakiston Company. Duel in the Sun by Niven Busch. Popular Library paperback edition # 102 was published in 1947 with a photo cover of Gregory Peck and Jennifer Jones. The Idol by Frances Rickett. Based on the screenplay by Millard Lampell this Popular Library paperback edition featuring a Jennifer Jones photo cover was published in 1966.

Newspaper Strips The Book-of-the Month: The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel, illustrated by Harold Foster (1943); Duel in the Sun by Niven Busch, illustrated by F. R. Gruger (1944); Cluny Brown 1945 by Margery Sharpe, illustrated by Wallace Morgan (1945). In the 1940s The Book-of-the-Month Club and King Features Syndication joined forces to adapt best-selling books to daily newspaper strips, condensed over a one month period. Consisting of two to four art panels per day, each panel displayed one line of text beneath each panel and a larger body of text split into four blocks. The Song of Bernadette strip was illustrated by acclaimed illustrator Harold J. Foster, best known for his work on Tarzan and Prince Valiant. Ripley’s Believe-it-or-Not: “Duel in the Sun — Facts About the Movie.” Syndicated 1946.

Comic Books The Towering Inferno: Mad Magazine #177 (Sep. 1975) : “The Towering Sterno”; Art: Mort Drucker; Story Dick De Bartolo; Jennifer Jones features in five panels of this well illustrated eight page b/w comic strip; Cracked Collector’s Edition #20. (1977) “Famous Disaster Movies” Special: “The Towering Infernal,” Art: John Severin. Jennifer Jones features in one panel of this six page b/w comic strip; Infierno En La Torre: This fifteen-page full-color comic book adaptation of The Towering Inferno was published in Argentina. A photo cover features the cast, including Jennifer Jones.

246

Appendix

Film Awards and Nominations 1943: The Song of Bernadette: Academy Award: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role; Golden Globe: Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role; National Board of Review: Best Acting Award; Look Magazine: Outstanding Achievement Award. 1944: Since You Went Away: Academy Award Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. 1945: Love Letters: Academy Award Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. 1946: Duel in the Sun: Academy Award Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role; Look Magazine: Outstanding Achievement Award. 1949: Madame Bovary: Paris Film Festival: Best Foreign Film Actress. 1955: Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing: Academy Award Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role; Audie: Most Popular Actress; Photoplay Magazine Gold Medal Award: Most Popular Actress. 1956: Good Morning, Miss Dove: California Federation of Women’s Clubs Motion Picture Award. 1974: The Towering Inferno: Golden Globe Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. 1997: Lifetime Achievement Award: German Film Awards. 1997: Legend Award: Lifetime Achievement in Film. 2005: The Song of Bernadette: Mother Theresa Award.

Service Awards 1951: Patriotic Award: Visiting wounded soldiers in Korea and Japan; United Nations Gold Medal: Boosting the morale of wounded American soldiers; American Red Cross Citation: Compassion shown to wounded American soldiers. 1985: Pennsylvania School of Nursing Honoree: Promoting a fairer, more compassionate society.

Miscellaneous Awards 1947: Sour Apple Award: Hollywood Women’s Press Club voted Jennifer Jones the least cooperative actress. 1947: Enamel Girl: Voted by dentists at a convention in London, Connecticut. Following her marriage to Norton Simon, Jennifer Jones Simon was involved at various levels with many councils, commissions and foundations: Board of Sponsors, World Federation of Mental Health of World Congress, Washington, D.C. (1983); Commission for the Control of Huntington’s Disease American Health Foundation, Institute for Health Maintenance (1976–1986); Hereditary Disease

Appendix

247

Foundation; J. Paul Getty Trust: (1984–1992); Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation (1979–2003); John Douglas French Foundation for Alzheimer’s Disease; Johns Hopkins Medical School Psychiatry and Neuroscience Development Councils; National Advisory Mental Health Council of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration (1982–1986); National Advisory Council of Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital (UCLA); National Institute of Neurological Communicative Disease and Stroke (1979–1982); National TV Programming Council; Norton Simon Art Foundation (1972–2007); Norton Simon Foundation (1979–2007); Norton Simon Museum of Art (1976–2007); Public Committee on Mental Health.

Jennifer Jones Estate Auction On December 13, 2010, Bonhams auctioned personal items from the Estate of Jennifer Jones. Bids ranged from $18.00 to $8,540 with many unique items sold; a few of them are listed here. Duel in the Sun presentation copy script signed and gifted to Jennifer Jones by David O. Selznick: $8,540. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) Golden Globe Award: $4,270. The Song of Bernadette beige wool headdress with red thread trim worn by Jones when she first encounters the Lady: $3,416. Gift cards received from Selznick in the 1940s: $2,074. Jones and Selznick collection of professional family photographs from the 1950s: $1,464. Group of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nomination certificates to Jones from the 1940s and 1950s: $1,220. Costume worn by Jones in Cluny Brown, in the scene where she chases Adam Belinski (Charles Boyer) to the train station: $610. Mother Theresa Award (2005) for The Song of Bernadette: $305. *** On April 20, 2011, Bonhams auctioned Jennifer Jones items from the Estate of Charles Williamson and Tucker Fleming: Nine hand-written and signed letters as “Jennifer” from Jones to director George Cukor. The auction also included two signed notes as “Jennifer” and “Jennifer Selznick,” a signed photograph and two signed cards. The items sold for $4,270.

This page intentionally left blank

Chapter Notes Chapter 1 1. Frederick C. Othman, “Hollywood Reporter,” Middlesboro Daily News (December 14, 1942): 6. 2. Ancestry.com, . 3. Maxine Arnold, “Jennifer: The Fabulous Life of a Girl Named Jones,” Photoplay (September 1947): 64–67, 118–121. 4. The Handbook of Texas Online, “Tent Shows,” . 5. “Jennifer Jones,” Current Biography (1944): 328–331. 6. The Old Homestead (1897) by Denman Thompson and George W. Ryder (uncredited) and East Lynne (1863) by Clifton W. Tayleure (based on the novel by Mrs. Henry Wood) were favorite plays of traveling stock companies in the early part of the 20th century and both had been translated to film. Celebrated silent screen vamp Theda Bara played the notorious Lady Isabel Carlisle in the 1925 version of East Lynne, one of thirteen versions of the film made between 1902 and 1925. 7. “The Face on the Barroom Floor” (1887) by Hugh Antoine D’Arcy. 8. “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” (1907) by Robert W. Service. 9. Clifford Ashby and Suzanne De Pauw May, Trouping Through Texas: Harley Sadler and His Tent Show (Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1982), 109. 10. Ibid., 110. A photograph of a truck parked at a Harley Sadler tent show features the billing “Jennifer Jones with Harley Sadler New Stage Show.” The temporary cutout letters for Jennifer Jones was added to raised vertical framing on the truck for publicity purposes. The authors state the fictitious billing “occurred during the late 30s or early 40s.” Given the fact Jennifer Jones wasn’t introduced to the public until December 9, 1942, we can rule out the late 30s as a possible date. 11. Othman, “Hollywood Reporter.” 12. Arnold, “Jennifer.” 13. “Jennifer Jones.” 14. Ashby and May, 129–130. 15. Arnold, “Jennifer.” 16. “Jennifer Jones.” 17. Alice Pardoe West, “They Get Excellent Roles in Two Important Pictures,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (February 28, 1943): 3A. 18. Edward Z. Epstein, Portrait of Jennifer: A Biography of Jennifer Jones (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995), 40. 19. Cherry Lane Theatre was originally the site of the Gomez Farm silo in 1817. In 1836 a brewery was built on the site before it was converted to a tobacco warehouse, box factory and

249

Notes — Chapters 2, 3, 4

250

theatre. The Cherry Lane Playhouse was officially opened on March 24, 1924, and was still in business as a theatre on Commerce Street, New York in 2010. 20. Alice Pardoe West, “Walkers’ Stage Future Is Assured, Says Columnist,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (February 19, 1939).

Chapter 2 1. Erskine Johnson, “Jennifer Waits 14 Years for Role,” Park City Daily News ( June 11, 1961). 2. Epstein, 45. 3. Alice Pardoe West, “Ogdenite Wins Movie Contract — Mrs. Phyllis Isley Walker Signs for Five Years with Republic,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner ( July 9, 1939): 13A. 4. Allen Eyles, John Wayne (Cranbury, NJ: A.S. Barnes, 1976), 52. 5. Ibid., 55. 6. Jennifer Jones News, “J J’s First Award?” .

Chapter 3 1. Robert Osborne, E-mail correspondence with author (September 30, 2010). 2. Alice Pardoe West, “Signs Radio Contract,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (April 7, 1940): 15A. 3. Ron Simon, “The Dead Sea Scroll of TV History” (August 25, 2009), . 4. “New Yorkers Conclude Ogden Visit,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (November 17, 1940): 2B. 5. Beverly Linet, Star-Crossed: The Story of Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones (New York: Putnam, 1986), 62. 6. Epstein, 53. 7. Franklin Arthur, “Headline Story: Hollywood Cinderellas,” St. Petersburg Times (February 13, 1949): 14. 8. Ibid. 9. David Thomson, Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick (New York: Knopf, 1992), 366. 10. Epstein, 52. 11. Thomson, 367. 12. Ibid. 13. David O. Selznick, Rudy Behlmer, ed., Memo from David O. Selznick (New York: Viking Press, 1972), 312. 14. Ibid., 315. 15. Thomson, 367. 16. Frederick C. Othman, “Hollywood Reporter,” Middlesboro Daily News (December 14, 1942): 6.

Chapter 4 1. “Books: Modern Miracle,” Time ( June 8, 1942). 2. Alice Pardoe West, “They Get Excellent Roles in Two Important Pictures,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (February 28, 1943): 13A. 3. Louella O. Parsons, “Jennifer Jones Most Envied Girl in All-Hollywood,” The San Antonio Light ( January 10, 1943). 4. “Ogdenite Wins Movie Contract,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner ( July 9, 1939). 5. May Mann, “Ogden’s Bob Walker Gains Full-Fledged Stardom,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (May 5, 1943).

Notes — Chapter 5

251

6. Mitch Woodbury, “Big Picture Coming Up from Fox,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (April 21, 1943): 23. 7. Robbin Coons, “Hollywood Sights & Sounds,” The News [Newport, RI] ( January 5, 1943): 7. 8. Erskine Johnson, “20th Century–Fox Gambling Two Million by Casting Unknown in Vital Star Role,” The Pittsburgh Press (April 24, 1943): 5. 9. Colleen McDannell, Catholics in the Movies (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 94. 10. Ibid., 95. 11. Dorothy V. Corson, “The Spirit of Notre Dame: The Song of Bernadette Movie,” . 12. Robert Osborne, E-mail communication with author (September 30, 2010). 13. McDannell, 100. 14. “The Song of Bernadette,” Life (April 26, 1943): 61–65. 15. Osborne, E-mail (September 29–30, 2010). 16. Gene Curtis, “Only in Oklahoma: Tulsa Woman won Oscar for Her Saintly Role,” Tulsa World (April 6, 2007). 17. Frederick C. Othman, “Jennifer Jones and Paul Lukas Win Motion Picture Academy Oscars,” The Pittsburgh Press (March 3, 1944): 20. 18. Alice Pardoe West, “Jennifer Jones Still in Daze Over Academy Award Honors,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner ( June 18, 1944): 12A. 19. Sheilah Graham, “Hollywood: Robert Walker’s Problems Playing Private Hargrove,” The Miami News ( July 24, 1943): 7A. 20. “Jennifer Jones Keeps Oscar; to Lose Mate,” Associated Press (March 22, 1944). 21. Rosalind Shaffer, “Don’t Let Bernadette Fool You About Jennifer Jones,” Abilene Reporter News (April 23, 1944). 22. Jennifer Jones, “‘Bernadette’ Jones Says Being Typed Is Tribute, and Has Aided Her Success,” The Evening Citizen (December 22, 1944): 21. 23. Howard Thompson, “Presenting The Lady Called Jones,” New York Times (May 25, 1952). 24. “Inaccuracies in Film ‘Song of Bernadette,’” The Canadian Register ( January 27, 1945): 8.

Chapter 5 1. Behlmer, 337–339. 2. “Actor Recovering from Injuries,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (October 30, 1943). “Meet Two Rising Stars,” Ladies Home Journal ( January 1944): 85–87, 98. 3. Linet, 76. 4. May Mann, “Claudette Colbert Faces Challenge in Film Role as Mother,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (September 19, 1943). 5. Behlmer, 340–341. 6. Shirley Temple Black, Child Star: An Autobiography (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988), 357. 7. Lawrence J. Quirk, Claudette Colbert an Illustrated Biography (New York: Crown, 1985), 133–134. 8. Temple Black, 356. 9. Joseph Cotton, Vanity Will Get You Somewhere (San Francisco: Mercury House, 1987), 56. 10. World War II on the Homefront, . 11. Ronald Haver, David O. Selznick’s Hollywood (New York: Knopf, 1980), 342. 12. Thomson, 231. 13. Alain Kerzoncuf, “Alfred Hitchcock and The Fighting Generation,” Senses of Cinema, . 14. Rhonda Fleming, E-mail communication with author (March 4, 2010).

Notes — Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9

252

Chapter 6 1. Hal Wallis and Charles Higham, Starmaker: The Autobiography of Hal Wallis (New York: Macmillan, 1980), 124. 2. Thomson, 424. 3. David P. Hayes, “Ayn Rand vs. Hollywood’s Self Censorship,” . 4. Wallis and Higham, Starmaker. 5. Jennifer Jones, “‘Bernadette’ Jones Says Being Typed Is Tribute, and Has Aided Her Success,” The Evening Citizen (December 22, 1944): 21.

Chapter 7 1. “Jennifer Sued,” Abilene Reporter News (May 6, 1944): 10. 2. Larry Swindell, Charles Boyer: The Reluctant Lover (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1983), 199. 3. “Margery Sharp Novel Comes to TV,” Cluny Brown Press Kit, New York: National Telefilm Associates Inc., n/d. 4. Behlmer, 366. 5. Thomson, 463.

Chapter 8 1. Haver, 352. 2. Michael Freedland, Gregory Peck: A Biography (New York: W. Morrow, 1980), 74. 3. Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg, “New York Close-Up: Jennifer Jones Camera Shy,” New York Herald (May 18, 1952). 4. Elizabeth Wilson, “Quite a Change for Our Jennifer,” Silver Screen ( July 1945): 24– 25, 76. 5. “Life Goes on Location with a Western,” Life (April 23, 1945): 97–101. 6. Wilson, “Quite a Change for Our Jennifer.” 7. Florabel Muir, “6 to 5 on Jones,” Modern Screen (April, 1947): 38–39, 88, 90. 8. Haver, 355. 9. Wilson, “Quite a Change for Our Jennifer.” 10. Thomson, 452–453. 11. Haver, 360. 12. Miklos Rosza, Double Life (Tunbridge Wells: Midas, 1982), 127. 13. Christopher Palmer, Dimitri Tiomkin: A Portrait (London: T E Books, 1984), 87. 14. “They Take Film Music Seriously,” The Sydney Morning Herald (August 12, 1951). 15. “Churches Attack Film,” San Antonio Light ( January 16, 1947): 4B. 16. Donald Marshman, “Love That Movie!” Life (February 10, 1947): 72–74, 76. 17. Thomson, 475. 18. Behlmer, 373. 19. “Jennifer Jones, Husband Divorced,” The Independent ( June 21, 1945): 7. 20. “Jennifer Jones to Divorce Walker,” The Ogden-Standard Examiner (March 24, 1944). 21. Louella O. Parsons, “Selznick’s Wed 15 Years, Part,” Los Angeles Examiner (August 24, 1945): 3. 22. Irene Mayer Selznick, A Private View (New York: Knopf, 1983), 267. 23. Ibid., 292.

Chapter 9 1. Behlmer. 344. 2. Thomson, 479–480.

Notes — Chapters 10, 11, 12

253

3. Haver, 380. 4. Behlmer, 386–387. 5. Joe Debona, “Noank’s Unorthodox Genius,” The Courant Magazine (August 29, 1965): 6–7. 6. “Portrait of Jennie,” American Artist (December 1948). 7. Facts based on telephone conversations with artist Lois Constantine, a former student and personal friend of Robert Brackman ( June 2010). 8. “Noank Artist Paints Jennifer Jones’ Portrait as Joseph Cotten Kibitzes,” The Day (December 18, 1948): 21. 9. Sam Staggs, When Blanche Met Brando: The Scandalous Story of “A Streetcar Named Desire” (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005), 187. 10. Deborah Jowitt, Jerome Robbins: His Life, His Theater, His Dance (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004), 114. 11. Dennis S. Johnson, “Portrait of Jennie: A Retrospect,” Cinefantastique (Summer 1971): 12–19. 12. “Selznick Takes Time Out,” Life (March 21, 1949): 69, 72, 77. 13. Ava Gardner, Ava: My Story (New York: Bantam Books, 1990), 117.

Chapter 10 1. Thomson, 513. 2. Gerald Pratley, The Cinema of John Huston (New York: A.S. Barnes, 1977), 78. 3. Alice Pardoe West, “Behind the Scenes,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner ( January 30, 1949): 9B. 4. Ibid. (May 5, 1949): 10B. 5. Virginia McPherson, “Movie Boss Temperamental Too, but Looks to Hobbies,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (August 30, 1950): 7A. 6. Bob Thomas, “Foreign Film Actor Says U.S. Stars Not Unruly,” The Victoria Advocate (August 17, 1954): 2. 7. John Huston, An Open Book (New York: Knopf, 1980), 170–171. 8. Ezra Goodman, The Fifty-Year Decline and Fall of Hollywood (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1961), 62. 9. Pratley, 74. 10. History News Network. Mel Ayton. “Lee Harvey Oswald’s Motives” (April 10, 2006). .

Chapter 11 1. The Public vs. M. Gustave Flaubert. Project Gutenberg Ebook, 2004. 2. Lana Turner, Lana —The Lady, the Legend, the Truth (New York: Dutton, 1982), 140. 3. Epstein, 235. 4. Miklós Rózsa, Double Life (Tunbridge Wells: Midas, 1982), 143. 5. George Bluestone, Novels into Film (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1957), 205. 6. Joe McElhaney, ed., Vincente Minnelli: The Art of Entertainment (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2009), 195–166. 7. Rózsa, Double Life. 8. Howard Thompson, “Presenting the Lady Called Jones,” New York Times (May 25, 1952).

Chapter 12 1. “‘Cinderella’ Jennifer Jones weds Selznick on Yacht off Riviera,” The Southeast Missourian ( July 13, 1949): 12. 2. Michael Powell, Million Dollar Movie (London: Heinemann, 1992), 40–41.

254

Notes — Chapters 13, 14, 15

3. Ibid., 69. 4. Ibid., 72. 5. Ibid., 66. 6. Ibid., 75. 7. Christopher Challis, Are They Really So Awful?: A Cameraman’s Chronicles (London: Janus, 1995), 89. 8. “British Society Bans Hounds for Film Production,” The Canberra Times (November 2, 1949): 4. 9. Powell, 82–83. 10. Challis, 92–93. 11. Powell, 41. 12. Ibid., 38.

Chapter 13 1. William A. Swanberg, Dreiser (New York: Scribner’s, 1965), 83. 2. Ibid., 87. 3. Ibid., 92. 4. Penn Libraries, “Sister Carrie,” . 5. Thomson, 557. 6. Terry Coleman, Olivier (New York: H. Holt, 2005), 223. 7. Alice Pardoe West, “Behind the Scenes,” The Ogden Standard Examiner ( June 15, 1952): 9A. 8. “Death Takes Actor Robert Walker,” The San Antonio Light (August 29, 1951): 1. 9. “Actor Walker Says Mental Clinic Made Him a New Man,” Abilene Reporter News ( July 18, 1949): 3. 10. Jim Henaghan, “The Tragedy of Robert Walker,” Redbook Magazine (November 1951). 11. Virginia MacPherson, “Screen Star Robt. Walker Dies Choking After Hypo,” The Daily Review (August 29, 1951): 1. 12. “Handful Gather for Funeral Rites,” The Daily Review (August 30, 1951). 13. “Film Star Robert Walker Buried as ‘Home Town Boy,’” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (September 4, 1951): 1. 14. “Children Willed Walker Estate,” St. Petersburg Times (September 16, 1951): 42. 15. Epstein, Portrait of Jennifer: A Biography of Jennifer Jones, 275–277.

Chapter 14 1. Thomson, 577–578. 2. Based on information from a telephone conversation with former Southport resident Brooks Preik (May 25, 2010). 3. Karl Malden and Carla Malden, When Do I Start? A Memoir (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997), 222–223. 4. Epstein, 287. 5. Behlmer, 410–411.

Chapter 15 1. Lloyd Shearer, “Riddle of Jennifer Jones,” St. Petersburg Times (August 11, 1957): 20–21. 2. Patricia Bosworth, Montgomery Clift: A Biography (New York : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978), 245. 3. Ibid. 4. Barney Hoskyns, Montgomery Clift: Beautiful Loser (New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1992), 104.

Notes — Chapters 16, 17, 18, 19 5. 6. 7. 8.

255

“Temperament at a Terminal,” Life (March 9, 1953): 135–136, 138. Charles Thomas Samuels, Encountering Directors (New York: Putnam, 1972), 155. Hoskyns, 106. Bosworth, 246.

Chapter 16 1. Huston, 246–247. 2. Margaret Morley, Larger Than Life: The Biography of Robert Morley (London: Robson, 1979), 155. 3. Stephen D. Youngkin, The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2005), 369. 4. Epstein, 299. 5. Pratley, 102. 6. “Huston Waited for Years for The Right Rogues,” The Montreal Gazette (December 18, 1975): 27. 7. Patrick Cockburn, “Devil Is in the detail for Capote,” The Guardian (February 28, 2006). 8. Huston, 248. 9. Anne Edwards, “Jennifer Jones and David O. Selznick at Tower Grove,” Architectural Digest (April 1992). 10. Thomson, 652.

Chapter 17 1. Geoffrey Hutton, “A Formula for Best-Seller,” The Argus [Melbourne] (September 6, 1952): 15. 2. Epstein, 321. 3. Alice Hughes, “A Woman’s New York,” Reading Eagle (September 13, 1955): 13. 4. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, 20th Century–Fox Studio Classics, 2003: John Burlingame audio commentary. 5. Bob Thomas, “Jennifer Jones: Audience Honor Surprised Star,” The Abilene ReporterNews (December 20, 1955): 3A. 6. Aline Mosby, “Jennifer Jones Says Selznick Leaves Her Career Alone,” The Stars and Stripes (May 4, 1955).

Chapter 18 1. TCM.com . 2. “Cameraman Saves Jennifer on Lot,” Stars and Stripes (August 9, 1955). 3. Robert Stack and Mark Evans, Straight Shooting (New York: Macmillan, 1980), 179. 4. Hedda Hopper, “Jennifer Jones Is Back Among Top Ten of Films,” The SpokesmanReview (March 18, 1956): 23. 5. Bob Thomas, “Jennifer Jones Making Picture–Second This Year,” The Abilene ReporterNews ( July 20, 1955): 12A.

Chapter 19 1. Hedda Hopper, “Pays $200,000 for Best Seller Rights,” Chicago Tribune (August 13, 1955): 8. 2. “Suiting Up as a Suburbanite,” Life (November 7, 1955): 135–136. 3. Bob Thomas, “Hollywood,” Daytona Beach Morning Journal (November 3, 1955). 4. “‘Lampoon’ Makes Annual Awards on Worst Films,” The Daily Review (March 25, 1957): 16.

Notes — Chapters 20, 21, 22, 23

256

Chapter 20 1. Daily Variety (March 14, 1955). 2. Katherine Cornell starred opposite Anthony Quayle as Robert Browning and Henry Daniell as Edward Moulton-Barrett in the Producers’ Showcase production of “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” (2:08) directed by Vincent J. Donehue and adapted by Guthrie McClintic. The critically acclaimed live 90 minute drama showcase from NBC ran from 1954–1957. Because it was broadcast live the only surviving broadcasts are black-and-white kinescopes. 3. Frederic G. Kenyon, ed., The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (New York: Macmillan, 1897), 112. 4. Ibid., 269. 5. Lloyd Shearer, “Man Who Makes Hollywood Tremble,” Ottawa Citizen Weekend Magazine (February 1, 1958): 12–15.

Chapter 21 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Haver, 395. Ibid., 397. Huston, 270. Hedda Hopper, “Many-Splendored Jennifer!” Chicago Tribune (March 18, 1956): M32. Pratley, 114. A.E. Hotchner, The Good Life According to Hemingway. New York: Ecco, 2008: 60. “Names in the News,” The Ogden Standard Examiner (April 18, 1957). Sara Davidson and Rock Hudson, Rock Hudson: His Story (New York: Morrow, 1986),

105. 9. Gene Handsaker, “He’s Made Love to Star Beauties but Rock Really Doesn’t Like Job,” Ottawa Citizen (April 1, 1959): 24. 10. Thomson, 625–627. 11. Bob Thomas, “New Troubles-Film in Italy Difficult,” Kentucky New Era (September 23, 1957): 7. 12. Thomson, 646.

Chapter 22 1. Behlmer, 463–464. 2. Ibid., 468–470. 3. Erskine Johnson, “Jennifer Jones Waits 14 Years for Role,” Park City Daily News ( June 11, 1961). 4. “Snarls and hassles in hair circles,” Life (August 18, 1961): 96. 5. Fontaine, 175–176. 6. Ibid., 265–266. 7. Harrison Carroll, “Studio Is Celebrating New Year’s in August,” The Dispatch (August 10, 1961): 11. 8. Haver, 406. 9. Epstein, 390. 10. Joseph Cotten, 162–165. 11. Thomson, 696.

Chapter 23 1. Stephen Watts, “Miss Jones Looks at Love in London,” The New York Times (December 5, 1965). 2. Robert Osborne, E-mail communication with author (September 25, 2010). 3. Harold Heffernan, “Jennifer Jones Going All-Out,” The Pittsburgh Press (November 23, 1965): 17.

Notes — Chapters 24, 25, 26

257

4. “Drugged Actress Off Danger List,” The Sydney Morning Herald (November 12, 1967): 11. 5. “Jennifer Jones Improves After Brush with Death,” The Palm Beach Post (November 10, 1967): 1. 6. “Jennifer Jones Recovers After Fall Down Cliff,” Ottawa Citizen (November 13, 1967): 1. 7. “Jennifer Jones Out of Hospital,” The Pittsburgh Press (November 13, 1967): 25.

Chapter 24 1. “Janice Rule in Top Role of New Play,” The Montreal Gazette ( January 12, 1961): 8. 2. Dorothy Manners, “Off the Grapevine,” Toledo Blade (August 6, 1968). 3. Fred Russell, “Passing Show: Newcomer Signed for Movie Role,” The Bridgeport Post (February 25, 1969): 12. 4. Earl Wilson, “Ear Wilson Reports It Took Him Time to Get Started,” Daytona Beach Morning Journal (February 20, 1971): 9–10. 5. Dick Kleiner, “Actor Dislikes Role in Nude,” The Palm Beach Post (April 17, 1969): 20. 6. Ibid. 7. “Astaire, Jennifer Jones Screen Romance Team,” Sarasota Journal (May 20, 1974): 5B.

Chapter 25 1. The Towering Inferno Archive, Preproduction, . 2. Carleena Gower, Telephone interview by author (March 7, 2010). 3. Dorothy Gower, Telephone interview by author (March 13, 2010). 4. The Towering Inferno Archive, Preproduction, . 5. The Towering Inferno, DVD: Disc 2. 6. Marilyn Beck, “Hollywood Close-Up,” The Milwaukee Journal ( June 26, 1974): 11. 7. Dorothy Manners, “A New Awakening for Actress Jennifer Jones,” Toledo Blade (September 1, 1974): 2E. 8. Carleena Gower, Telephone interview by author (March 7, 2010).

Chapter 26 1. Leroy F. Aarons, “Out of Empire–Building and Personal Crises Emerges a Mellowed Norton Simon,” People (May 31, 1976). 2. “Salvation Army to Establish Center,” Deseret News (December 25, 1970): 2E. 3. “Jennifer Jones Weds Simon Twice,” Bridgeport Sunday Post (August 8, 1971): 13. 4. “India Sues Art Collector,” The Montreal Gazette (December 10, 1974): 54. 5. “Daughter of Actress Suicide,” Oscala Star-Banner (May 23, 1976): 9B. 6. Ruth Nathan Anderson, “VIP Medical Grapevine,” Boca Raton News (December 18, 1977): 15C. 7. Kirk Douglas, Let’s Face It (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2007), 45. 8. Ruth Nathan Anderson, “Stars Support Mental Health Fund,” Boca Raton News (December 9, 1979): 4B. 9. “Actress Jennifer Jones Pays $3.7 Million for Painting,” Ocala Star-Banner (April 17, 1980): 7A. 10. Suzanne Muchnic, Odd Man In: Norton Simon and the Pursuit of Culture (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998), 186–187. 11. “Jennifer Jones Is Honored,” The Pittsburgh Press (May 6, 1983): A2. 12. “Norton Simon’s Wife Says He Has Paralytic Illness,” Tri City Herald (September 19, 1985): A2. 13. David D’Arcy, “The Dealer & Miss Jones,” Los Angeles Magazine (February 1996): 75– 81, 138–141.

Notes — Chapters 27, 28

258

14. Dirk Mathison, “Masterpiece Theater,” Los Angeles Magazine (November 1998): 107– 111. 15. Douglas, 145. 16. Robert Osborne, E-mail correspondence with author (September 30, 2010). During my e-mail correspondence with Mr. Osborne, he was cleaning out his apartment when he came across boxes containing notes from his many interviews through the years, including his interview with Jennifer Jones in 1970. It was the first time he had looked in the boxes for twenty-three years and he had no idea his notes still existed.

Chapter 27 1. Milton Bracker, ‘Portrait of a Stage-Struck Lady,” New York Times (December 15, 1954). 2. William Saroyan, Hello Out There: A One-Act Play (New York: Samuel French, 1942). 3. La Jolla Playhouse, <www.lifeofanactor.com/lajolla.htm.>. 4. Hedda Hopper, “Hollywood,” Pittsburgh Press (August 20, 1947): 11. 5. Sheilah Graham, “In Hollywood,” The Ottawa Citizen (September 11, 1947). 6. “The Theater: Stagestruck,” Time (August 8, 1949). 7. Louella O. Parsons, “Jennifer Jones to Tour Europe Stages as Juliet,” The Stars and Stripes (December 10, 1950): 8. 8. Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg, “New York Close-Up-Jennifer Jones-Camera Shy,” New York Herald Tribune (May 18, 1952). 9. Alice Hughes, “A Woman’s New York,” Reading Eagle (December 22, 1954): 17. 10. Emory Lewis, “Portrait of Jennifer,” Cue (December 14, 1954): 16. 11. Hughes, “A Woman’s New York.” 12. “The First Lady Goes to See Play,” Daytona Beach Morning Journal (December 2, 1954): 7. 13. Aline Mosby, “Jennifer Jones Says Selznick Leaves Her Career Alone,” The Stars and Stripes (May 4, 1955): 15. 14. Selznick, Memo from David O. Selznick. 15. Amanda Vaill, Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins (New York: Broadway Books, 2006), 348. 16. Aviva Ravel, “The Dramatic World of Patricia Joudry-Thesis,” McGill University ( June 1984): Ch.4. 17. Helen Muir, “A Dazzling Cast of One Big Couch,” The Miami News (March 27, 1965).

Chapter 28 1. Dorothy Manners, “A New Awakening for Actress Jennifer Jones,” Toledo Blade (September 1, 1974): 2E. 2. Jeffrey L. Carrier, Jennifer Jones, a Bio-Bibliography (New York: Greenwood Press, 1990), 82. 3. John Dunning, Tune in Yesterday-The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio 1925 – 1976 (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1976), 502–503. 4. OTR Radio Hall of Fame, “The Song of Bernadette” (February 20, 1944). 5. Epstein, 139. An article in Newsweek (April 3, 1944): 82–84 reports that Jones’ episode was originally re-scheduled and then cancelled due to an ongoing dispute between film studios and the radio broadcasters regarding the casting of celebrity guest stars. 6. Lux Radio Theatre, “Seventh Heaven” (October 16, 1944) . 7. “Heroes of the March of Dimes,” . 8. Carrier, 83.

Notes — Chapter 29

259

Chapter 29 1. Dorothy Manners, “A New Awakening for Actress Jennifer Jones,” Toledo Blade (September 1, 1974): 2E. 2. Alice Pardoe West, “Ogdenite Wins Movie Contract — Mrs. Phyllis Isley Walker Signs for Five Years with Republic,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner ( July 9, 1939): 13A. 3. Edward G. Bansak, Fearing the Dark ( Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1995) 126. 4. Louella O. Parsons, “Selznick Buys Longstreet’s ‘The Land I Lost for Film,’” The Modesto Bee (August 19, 1943): 5. 5. Thomson, 467. 6. Sheilah Graham, “What’s Wrong with Hollywood? Plenty, Says Producer Hornblow,” Milwaukee Journal (November 28, 1947): 2. 7. Alice Pardoe West, “Behind the Scenes,” The Ogden Standard-Examiner (May 5, 1949): 10B. 8. Thomson, 466–467. 9. AFI Catalog Feature Films: Little Women (1949), . 10. “Ty Power Shoots Scenes in Europe. Delays Return,” St. Petersburg Times (November 8, 1947): 8. 11. Catholic Church Extension Society, . 12. “Selznick Reveals ‘Magdalene’ Plans,” The New York Times ( July 14, 1952): 14. Thomas F. Brady, “Lead in Fox Movie to Jennifer Jones,” New York Times ( January 29, 1947): 31. 13. Lloyd Shearer, “Man Who Makes Hollywood Tremble,” Ottawa Citizen Weekend Magazine (February 1, 1958): 15. 14. Ibid. 15. Thomson, 601. 16. “Jennifer Jones to Star in ‘Bell, Book, Candle,’” St. Petersburg Times (August 17, 1953): 31. 17. Thomson, 603. 18. Louella O. Parsons, “Jennifer Jones May Play ‘Ruth,’” The Daily Review (May 5, 1954): 24. 19. Thomson, 601. 20. “Sam Engel Seeks Holden, Jennifer Jones for New Film,” Chicago Daily Tribune (April 13, 1956): 38. 21. Hedda Hopper, “Jennifer Jones Is Sought for Helen Morgan Role,” Chicago Daily Tribune (September 14, 1956): A6. 22. Aline Mosby, “Ann Blyth Gets Sexy Movie Role,” Beaver Valley Times ( January 18, 1957): 11. 23. Erskine Johnson, “Jennifer Jones Waits 14 Years for Role,” Park City Daily News ( June 11, 1961). 24. Bob Thomas, “Ava Gardner Says MGM Never Right Studio for Her,” Reading Eagle (May 21, 1957): 24. 25. Thomson, 642. Although the proposed television production of The Human Voice starring Jennifer Jones came to nothing, Cocteau’s play was broadcast on television on May 4, 1967 with Ingrid Bergman starring in the ABC 67 production. 26. Ibid.

Bibliography Books Agee, James. Agee on Film. [New York]: McDowell, Obolensky, 1958. Ashby, Clifford, and Suzanne De Pauw May. Trouping Through Texas: Harley Sadler and His Tent Show. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1982. Bagnold, Enid, and A Lady of Quality. Serena Blandish: Or, the Difficulty of Getting Married. New York: G.H. Doran, 1925. Balio, Tino. United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1975. Bansak, Edmund G. Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1995. Bates, Kenneth. Brackman, His Art and Teaching. Noank, CT: Noank Pub. Studio, 1951. Behlmer, Rudy, ed. Memo from David O. Selznick. New York: Viking Press, 1972. Besier, Rudolf. The Barretts of Wimpole Street: A Comedy in Five Acts. Boston: Little, Brown, 1930. Black, Shirley Temple. Child Star: An Autobiography. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. Bluestone, George. Novels Into Film. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1957. Blum, Daniel. A Pictorial History of the American Theatre 1860 –1970. New York: Crown, 1969. Bosworth, Patricia. Montgomery Clift: A Biography. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. Busch, Niven. Duel in the Sun. Cleveland: World, 1946. Capote, Truman, and Gerald Clarke. Too Brief a Treat: The Letters of Truman Capote. New York: Random House, 2004. Carrier, Jeffrey L. Jennifer Jones, a Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Challis, Christopher. Are They Really So Awful? A Cameraman’s Chronicles. London: Janus, 1995. Chapman, John. Theatre, ’55. New York: Random House, 1955. Coleman, Terry. Olivier. New York: H. Holt, 2005. Corson, Dorothy V. A Cave of Candles: The Story Behind Notre Dame’s Grotto. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Publishing House, 2006. Cotten, Joseph. Vanity Will Get You Somewhere. San Francisco: Mercury House, 1987. Dans, Peter E. Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. Davidson, Sara, and Rock Hudson. Rock Hudson: His Story. New York: W. Morrow, 1986. Douglas, Kirk. Let’s Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. Dunning, John. Tune in Yesterday —The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio 1925 –1976. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1976. Durgnat, Raymond, and Scott Simmon. King Vidor, American. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. Edwards, Anne. Shirley Temple: American Princess. New York: W. Morrow, 1988. Epstein, Edward Z. Portrait of Jennifer: A Biography of Jennifer Jones. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.

260

Bibliography

261

Eyles, Allen. John Wayne. Cranbury, NJ: A.S. Barnes, 1976. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Tender Is the Night. New York: Scribner’s, 1934. Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. New York: Random House, 1957. Fontaine, Joan. No Bed of Roses. New York: William Morrow, 1978. Freedland, Michael. Gregory Peck: A Biography. New York: W. Morrow, 1980. Gardner, Ava. Ava: My Story. New York: Bantam Books, 1990. Gellens, Jay. Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Farewell to Arms: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1970. Goodman, Ezra. The Fifty-Year Decline and Fall of Hollywood. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1961. Guttmacher, Peter. Legendary War Movies. Fairfax, NY: Michael Friedman, 1996. Haney, Lynn. Gregory Peck: A Charmed Life. New York: Carroll & Graff, 2005. Harvey, James. Romantic comedy in Hollywood, from Lubitsch to Sturges. New York: Da Capo Press, 1998. Harvey, Stephen. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1989. Haver, Ronald. David O. Selznick’s Hollywood. New York: Knopf, 1980. Helvick, James. Beat the Devil. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1951. Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Scribner’s, 1929. _____, and Carlos Baker. Ernest Hemingway, Selected Letters, 1917–1961. New York: Scribner’s, 1981. Herman, Jan. A Talent for Trouble: The Life of Hollywood’s Most Acclaimed Director, William Wyler. New York: Da Capo Press, 1997. Hochman, Stanley. American Film Directors (A Library of Film Criticism). New York: Ungar, 1974. Hoskyns, Barney. Montgomery Clift: Beautiful Loser. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1992. Hotchner, A.E. The Good Life According to Hemingway. New York: Ecco, 2008. Huston, John. An Open Book. New York: Knopf, 1980. James, Henry. The Portrait of a Lady. New York: Bantam Classic, 2007. Jowitt, Deborah. Jerome Robbins: His Life, His Theater, His Dance. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Kenyon, Frederic G., ed. The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. New York: Macmillan, 1897. Keyes, Evelyn. Scarlett O’Hara’s Younger Sister: My Lively Life in and Out of Hollywood. Secaucus, NJ: L. Stuart, 1977. Keyes, Frances Parkinson. The Sublime Shepherdess: The Life of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes. New York: J. Messner, 1940. Kotsilibas-Davis, James. The Barrymores: The Royal Family in Hollywood. New York: Crown, 1981. Leff, Leonard J. Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Levy, Emanuel. Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood’s Dark Dreamer. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009. Linet, Beverly. Star-Crossed: The Story of Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones. New York: Putnam, 1986. Lingeman, Richard R. Don’t You Know There’s a War On? New York: Putnam, 1970. Malden, Karl, and Carla Malden. When Do I Start? A Memoir. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Marubbio, Miriam Elise. Killing the Indian Maiden Images of Native American Women in Film. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2006. McDannell, Colleen. Catholics in the Movies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. McElhaney, Joe, ed. Vincente Minnelli: The Art of Entertainment. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2009. McGilligan, Patrick. Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. New York: Regan Books, 2004. Minnelli, Vincente. I Remember It Well. New York: Doubleday, 1974. Moshier, W. Franklyn. The Films of Jennifer Jones. San Francisco: Moshier, 1978. Muchnic, Suzanne. Odd Man In: Norton Simon and the Pursuit of Culture. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. Nathan, Robert. Portrait of Jennie. New York: Knopf, 1940. Odets, Clifford. The Country Girl. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1951. Patton, Frances Gray. Good Morning, Miss Dove. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1954. Peary, Gerald, and Roger Shatzkin. The Classic American Novel and the Movies. New York: Ungar, 1977. Powell, Michael. Million Dollar Movie. London: Heinemann, 1992.

262

Bibliography

Pratley, Gerald. The Cinema of John Huston. New York: A.S. Barnes, 1977. Quirk, Lawrence J. Claudette Colbert, An Illustrated Biography. New York: Crown, 1985. Radley, Virginia L. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. New York: Twayne, 1972. Rózsa, Miklós. Double Life. Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Midas, 1982. Samuels, Charles Thomas. Encountering Directors. New York: Putnam, 1972. Saroyan, William. Hello Out There: A One-Act Play. New York: Samuel French, 1942. Schatz, Thomas. The Genius of the System: Hollywood Film-Making in the Studio Era. London: Simon & Schuster, 1989. Scortia, Thomas N., and Frank M. Robinson. The Glass Inferno. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1974. Searles, Baird. EPIC! History on the Big Screen. New York: Abrams, 1990. Selznick, David O. Memo from David O. Selznick. New York: Viking Press, 1972. Selznick, Irene Mayer. A Private View. New York: Knopf, 1983. Sharp, Margery. Cluny Brown. Boston: Little, Brown, 1943. Spoto, Donald. Notorious: The Life of Ingrid Bergman. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2001. Stack, Robert, and Mark Evans. Straight Shooting. New York: Macmillan, 1980. Staggs, Sam. When Blanche Met Brando: The Scandalous Story of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005. Stedman, Raymond William. The Serials. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1971. Stern. The Towering Inferno. New York: Warner Books, 1974. Suyin, Han. A Many-Splendored Thing. Boston: Little, Brown, 1952. Swanberg, William A. Dreiser. New York: Scribner’s, 1965. Swann, Thomas Burnett. The Heroine or the Horse: Leading Ladies in Republic’s Films. South Brunswick, NJ: A.S. Barnes, 1977. Swindell, Larry. Charles Boyer: The Reluctant Lover. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1983. Thomas, Bob. Golden Boy: The Untold Story of William Holden. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1983. _____. Selznick. New York: Doubleday, 1971. Thomson, David. Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick. New York: Knopf, 1992. Tuska, Jon, Vicki Piekarski, and David Wilson. Close-Up: The Hollywood Director. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1978. Vaill, Amanda. Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins. New York: Broadway Books, 2006. Viertel, Peter. Dangerous Friends: At Large with Huston and Hemingway in the Fifties. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Wagner, Geoffrey Atheling. The Novel and the Cinema. Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1975. Wagner-Martin, Linda. Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. Wallis, Hal, and Charles Higham. Starmaker: The Autobiography of Hal Wallis. New York: Macmillan, 1980. Webb, Mary Gladys Meredith. Gone to Earth. New York: Dial Press, 1982. Weiss, Ken, and Ed Goodgold. To Be Continued... New York: Crown, 1972. Werfel, Franz. Das Lied von Bernadette. Verlag, Stockholm: Bermann-Fischer, 1941. _____, and Ludwig Lewisohn, trans. The Song of Bernadette. New York: Viking Press, 1942. Wilder, Margaret Buell. Since You Went Away ... Letters to a Soldier from His Wife. New York: Whittlesey House, McGraw-Hill, 1943. Wilson, Sloan. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1955. Youngkin, Stephen D. The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2005.

Articles Arnold, Maxine. “The Amazing Miss Jones.” Photoplay ( January 1946): 36, 86–87. _____. “Jennifer: The Fabulous Life of a Girl Named Jones.” Photoplay (September 1947): 64– 67, 118–121.

Bibliography

263

Beatty, Jerome. “Keeping Up with the Jones Girl.” American Magazine (October 1944): 28– 29, 108–110. Berges, Marshall. “Jennifer Jones & Norton Simon.” Los Angeles Times Home Magazine (15 December 1974): 61. Carey, Rebecca. “Jennifer Jones Speaks for Herself.” Photoplay (September 1945): 29, 116–117. Carpozi, George. “I Tried to Die.” Photoplay (February 1968): 10–11, 98. “Cluny Brown.” Silver Screen ( July 1946): 46. Colby, Anita. “That Dream Girl Jones.” Photoplay (September 1946): 46, 74, 76. Cox, Stephen. “The Films of Ayn Rand.” Liberty Magazine (Aug. 1987). Crichton, Kyle. “The Name Is Jones.” Colliers (April 24, 1943): 78, 81. D’Arcy, David. “The Dealer & Miss Jones.” Los Angeles Magazine (February 1996): 75–81, 138– 141. Debona, Joe. “Noank’s Unorthodox Genius.” The Courant Magazine (August 29, 1965): 6–7. Doyle, Neil. “Jennifer Jones.” Films in Review (August–September 1961): 390–400. “Duel in the Sun.” Life (February 10, 1947): 68–71. “Duel in the Sun.” Movie Stars Parade (April 1945): 56–57. Edwards, Anne. “Jennifer Jones and David O. Selznick at Tower Grove.” Architectural Digest (April 1992). “Film-Radio Feud Over Guest Stars Highlights Tomorrow’s Television.” Newsweek (April 3, 1944): 82, 84. Henaghan, Jim. “The Tragedy of Robert Walker.” Redbook Magazine (November 1951). Hume, Rod. “She Saw the Vision — and Became a Star.” Films and Filming ( June 1956): 15. “Jennifer Goes West.” Movie Stars Parade (November 1945): 44. “Jennifer Jones.” Current Biography (1944): 328–331. “Jennifer Jones.” Modern Screen (November 1944): 20. Johnson, Dennis S. “Portrait of Jennie: A Retrospect.” Cinefantastique (Summer 1971): 12–19. “Ladies, What if You Were Madame Bovary and Married to a Boor.” Life (October 17, 1949): 112, 117. “Lavish, Lusty Western.” Silver Screen (May 1946): 46. Leslie, Leon. “The New Jennifer Jones.” Screen Stars ( January 1945): 12–13, 58–59. Lewis, Emory. “Portrait of Jennifer.” Cue (December 4, 1954): 16. “Life Goes on Location with a Western.” Life (April 23, 1945): 97–101. “Life’s Cover.” Life ( July 24, 1944): 11. “Look Presents Achievement Award.” Look (February 18, 1947). Lowrance, Dee. “Portrait of Jenny.” Modern Screen (March 1948): 30–31, 79, 81–82. “Man in a Gray Flannel Trap.” Life (April 9, 1956): 111–112. “Margery Sharp Novel Comes to TV.” Cluny Brown Press Kit. New York: National Telefilm Associates Inc., n/d. Marshman, Donald. “Love That Movie!” Life (February 10, 1947): 72–74, 76. Mathison, Dirk. “Masterpiece Theater.” Los Angeles Magazine (November 1998): 107–111. “Meet Two Rising Stars.” Ladies Home Journal ( January, 1944): 85–87, 98. Movie of the Week: “Cluny Brown.” Life (May 27, 1946): 125–127. Movie of the Week: “Love Letters.” Life (September 24, 1945): 73–74, 76, 78. Movie of the Week: “Since You Went Away.” Life ( July 24, 1944): 53–55. Muir, Florabel. “6 to 5 on Jones.” Modern Screen (April, 1947): 38–39, 88, 90. Parsons, Louella O. “I Predict a Honeymoon.” Photoplay (February 1949): 32–33, 74. “Passing Parade.” Movie Stars Parade (October 1944): 44–45. Peck, Gregory. “Jenny and Miss Jones.” Photoplay ( June 1944): 44–45, 76. “Portrait of Jennie.” American Artist (December 1948). Posner, Caryl, “The Mystery of Jennifer Jones.” Photoplay (April 1958): 53, 80, 82, 84. St. Johns, Adela Rogers. “Who Is Bernadette?” Photoplay ( June 1944): 34, 104–105. “Salute.” Movie Stars Parade (April, 1944): 12. “Selznick Takes Time Out.” Life (March 21, 1949): 69, 72, 77. “The Song of Bernadette.” Life (April 26, 1943): 61–65. Spotlight. “Snarls and Hassles in Hair Circles.” Life (August 18, 1961): 96.

264

Bibliography

“Suiting Up as a Suburbanite.” Life (November 7, 1955): 135–136. “Temperament at a Terminal.” Life (March 9, 1953): 135–136, 138. Wade, Jack. “The Woman Nobody Knows.” Modern Screen (February 1949): 44, 82, 84. Watters, Susan. “Eye.” Women’s Wear Daily (March 7, 1980): 4. “We Point with Pride.” Silver Screen (May 1944): 58. Wilson, Elizabeth. “Girl Meets Vision.” Liberty (September 25, 1943): 16–17, 72. _____. “Quite a Change for Our Jennifer.” Silver Screen ( July 1945): 24–25, 76. Zeitlan, Ida. “Jenny Made Up Her Mind.” Modern Screen (February 1945): 42–43, 110–113.

Internet Sources AFI Catalog of American Feature Films. . Kerzoncuf, Alain. “Alfred Hitchcock and the Fighting Generation.” Senses of Cinema. . Ancestry.com. . Audiophilia. . Australia Trove. “National Library of Australia.” . Catholic Church Extension Society. . Corson, Dorothy V. “The Spirit of Notre Dame: The Song of Bernadette Movie.” . The Handbook of Texas Online. “Tent Shows.” . Hayes, David P. “Ayn Rand vs. Hollywood’s Self Censorship.” . “Heroes of the March of Dimes.” . History News Network. Mel Ayton. “Lee Harvey Oswald’s Motives.” (April 10, 2006). . Jennifer Jones a Tribute. . Jerry’s Vintage Radio Logs. . La Jolla Playhouse. <www.lifeofanactor.com/lajolla.htm.>. Mary Webb Society. . Old Time Radio. “Screen Directors Playhouse.” . Penn Libraries. “Sister Carrie.” . Portrait of Jennifer Jones. . The Powell & Pressburger Pages. . Radio Revisited. . Robert Walker Tribute. . Simon, Ron. “The Dead Sea Scroll of TV History.” (August 25, 2009): . Soundtrack Collector. . SoundtrackNet. . The Towering Inferno Archive. Preproduction.. Turner Classic Movies. . WorldCat. . WWII on the Homefront. .

Interviews Fleming, Rhonda. E-mail communication with author (March 4, 2010). Gower, Carlena. Telephone interview by author (March 7, 2010). Gower, Dorothy. Telephone interview by author (March 13, 2010). Osborne, Robert. E-mail communication with author (February 20–September 30), 2010.

Index Numbers in bold italics indicate pages with photographs.

Academy Awards 39, 53, 194–195, 202, 204, 242 Adler, Buddy 144, 148, 149, 228, 237 Aherne, Brian 159, 207 Albert, Eddie 116, 117, 120, 122, 236 Allen, Irwin 190–192, 195, 228, 239 American Academy of Dramatic Arts 14– 15, 204, 210 American Red Cross 53, 123, 165, 246 Anastasia 228 Angel, Angel, Down We Go 186, 187, 188– 189, 239 Archibald, William 210–211, 241 Ardrey, Robert 98, 101, 236 Armendariz, Pedro 91, 94–95, 235 The Art of Norton Simon 203 Astaire, Fred 191, 192, 194–195, 239 Atkinson, Mrs. William T. 15 Audie Award 148, 149, 246 August, Joseph H. 80–81, 88, 235

Bell, Book and Candle 224, 225 Bergman, Ingrid 39, 53, 71, 219–220, 222–223, 228, 234, 259 Berman, Pandro S. 98, 236 Besier, Rudolf 159, 163, 169, 163, 238 Beverly Hills Hotel 202 Beverly Wilshire Hotel 1–2 Bickford, Charles 9, 32, 40, 70, 184–185, 216, 233, 235, 242 The Bishop Misbehaves 15, 241 Blyth, Ann 40, 227 The Bob Hope Show 215, 218, 242 Bogart, Humphrey 136–137, 138, 139–140, 187, 237 Boyer, Charles 61, 62, 67, 199, 234, 245, 247 Brackman, Robert 84, 85, 142 Breen, Joseph 31, 56, 118 The British Field Sports Society 109 Brooks, James L. 229 Brower, Otto 74 Browning, Robert 15, 159–160, 162–164 Buell Wilder, Margaret 43–44, 47, 234 Burstyn, Ellen 230 Busch, Niven 68, 235

The Bad and the Beautiful 104 Bagnold, Enid 208, 241 Ballard, Lucinda 85 The Barefoot Contessa 225, 226 Barrett Browning, Elizabeth 159, 162 The Barretts of Wimpole Street 15, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 238 Barrymore, Ethel 53, 82, 235 Barrymore, Lionel 69–70, 78, 117, 218, 234–235, 242 Bataan 29 Baxter, Anne 28, 40, 88 Beat the Devil 67, 136–137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 224, 237, 243 Beaton, Cecil 211, 241

Capitol Hill 228 Capote, Truman 130, 132, 136–137, 141, 237 Carrie 2, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122– 125, 221, 236, 242–244 Carter, Pres. Jimmy 201 Cass Timberlane 221–222 Cat People 220 Challis, Christopher 109–110, 112–113, 236 Chamberlain, Richard 191–192, 196, 239

265

266

Index

Chaplin, Charles 76 Cherry Lane Theatre 15, 206, 241, 249– 250 Chicago, Ill. 22–23, 116 Christopher, Jordan 186, 188, 239 Clarke, Charles G. 144–145, 238 Claudia 22–25, 28 Clift, Montgomery 130–131, 132, 133–135, 154, 173, 237 Cluny Brown 61, 62, 63–64, 65, 66, 67, 220, 224, 232, 234, 244–245, 247 Cockburn, Claude 136, 141 Colbert, Claudette 44–47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 234 Colby, Anita 67, 69, 75, 202 Collier, Constance 208, 210, 241 Colonial Theatre 211, 241 Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) 204, 216–217, 242–243 Columbia Pictures 93–94, 124, 225, 235 Communism 120–121, 136, 143–144, 151, 170, 188, 227 Cooper, Gary 165, 218 Cooper, Gladys 33, 57, 233–235 Cornell, Katherine 13–14, 44, 159–160, 162, 207, 210, 214, 256 Cortez, Stanley 49, 53, 234 Cotten, Joseph 47, 55, 56–60, 70, 77, 80, 82, 86, 87–88, 89, 112, 179–181, 207, 218, 220, 223, 234–236, 242, 245 The Country Girl 213–214, 226 Crain, Jeanne 118, 180 Cromwell, John 46, 234 Cukor, George 104, 168, 172, 179, 223 Cult of the Damned 188 Curtiz, Michael 227 Cusack, Cyril 107, 108, 112–113, 236 The Dark Wood 223 Darnell, Linda 28, 34, 35, 132 Debussy, Claude 84, 88 De Havilland, Olivia 67, 150, 191 De Mille, Cecil B. 217–218 De Sica, Vittorio 132–135, 165, 170, 237– 238 Dick Tracy’s G-Men 16, 19, 20, 233, 243– 244 Dieterle, William 28, 57, 59–60, 74, 80, 87–88, 222–223, 234–235 Dighton, John 162–163, 238 The Doctor’s Dilemma 228 Donald, James 108 Douglas, Kirk 104, 200, 204 Dreiser, Theodore 116–118, 121–123, 236 The Drunkard 29

Duel in the Sun 2, 67–69, 70, 71, 72, 73– 74, 75, 76–77, 78, 79, 81, 105, 114, 126– 127, 168, 202, 218, 221–222, 235, 242–246 Dunaway, Faye 194, 239 Easdale, Brian 110, 236 East of Eden 224 Eisenhower, Mamie 211 Elliott, Osborn 197 Epstein, Howard 2, 125 Extension Magazine 223 Fain, Sammy 146, 148, 176, 237 A Farewell to Arms 8, 165, 166, 167–170, 171, 172–173, 223, 227, 238, 243–244 Farrar, David 107, 111, 112, 113, 236 Fellows, Arthur 167–169, 238 Ferrer, Mel 25, 207–208, 241 The Fighting Generation 54–55, 234 Fitzgerald, F. Scott 172–173, 176, 186, 232, 236 Flaubert, Gustave 97–98, 101–103, 235 Fleming, Rhonda 54–55 Florea, John 36–37 Fontaine, Joan 28, 39, 60, 127, 175, 238 Ford, John 18, 124–125 Franklin, Rose 22–25 Franklin, Sidney 159, 160, 162, 238 Fried, Martin 213, 241 The Galileans 226 Gardner, Ava 89–90, 118, 186, 225, 226, 227 Garfield, John 91, 93–95, 96, 223, 236 Garland, Judy 100–101, 159 Garmes, Lee 53, 55, 60, 74, 81, 234–235 Garson, Greer 39, 98 The Gaucho 34 Gaynor, Janet 13, 173, 207, 217 Gehry, Frank O. 202–203 Gielgud, John 160, 161, 162, 164, 238 Gish, Lillian 28, 69–70, 83, 202, 230, 235 Goddard, Paulette 94, 215 Goetz, William 26, 28, 30 Golden Globe 39, 148, 246–247 Gone to Earth 105, 106, 107, 108–110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 134, 236, 243–244 Gone with the Wind 7, 9, 23, 43, 71, 168 Good Morning Miss Dove 150–151, 152b, 153b, 164, 238, 246 Gower, Carlena 191, 192, 193, 194, 196 Gower, Dorothy 192–194 Granger, Farley 124, 132

Index Grant, Cary 118, 172, 179, 200, 202 Greenwich Village, N.Y. 15, 199, 206 Griffith, D.W. 69 Guillain-Barre syndrome 202 Guillermin, John 191–192, 239 Hacker, Frederick 124 Hagen, Uta 199 Hale, Everett 218, 242 Hale, Frank J. 213 Harris, Jean 229–230 Haydn, Richard 62, 63, 234 Hays, Will 31 Heart attack 81, 179 Hecht, Ben 84, 91, 112, 165–167, 169–170, 238 Heflin, Van 97, 102, 103, 236 The Helen Morgan Story 227 Hello Out There 206–207, 241 Hemingway, Ernest 165–170, 227, 238 Hempstead, David 80–81 Henaghan, Jim 124–125 Hereditary Disease Foundation 200, 204 Herrmann, Bernard 84, 177, 238 Heston, Charlton 126, 129, 156, 236 The Higgins Family 219 Hitchcock, Alfred 47, 53, 68, 74, 124, 179, 224, 234 Holden, William 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 172–173, 191, 194, 196, 226, 227, 237, 239 Hollywood 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 21, 23–24, 27–31, 34, 36, 38, 40, 43, 50, 61, 66, 69, 79, 84, 88–89, 93–94, 103–105, 112, 115, 122, 128, 134, 146, 169, 170–171, 175–177, 190, 195, 199, 207–208, 210, 215–216, 221, 223, 225, 231, 242, 246 Hollywood Newsgirl 24, 215, 242 Hong Kong 143–147 Hornblow, Arthur, Jr. 221–222 House Un-American Activities Committee 121 Houseman, John 44, 206, 241 Hudson, Rock 165, 167, 170, 171, 238 The Human Voice 228, 259 The Hunchback of Notre Dame 29, 80 Huntingdon’s Disease 200, 204 Huston, John 91, 93–96, 136–139, 141–142, 166–168, 170, 235, 237 I Am a Camera 226 The Idol 180–181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 228, 239 Indiscretion of an American Wife 130, 131, 132, 133–135, 237, 243–244

267

Inge, William 226 Isley, Philip 11–13 Jackson Michael 203 James, Henry 210–212, 241 Jehlinger, Charles 15, 204 Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation for Mental Health 200–201 Joan of Arc 222 Johnson, Nunnally 156–157, 238 Johnson, Van 216–218, 234, 242 Joseph and His Brethren 226 Joudrey, Patricia 212–213, 241 Jourdan, Louis 98, 103, 105, 132, 179, 199, 208, 209, 236, 241 Kelly, Grace 159, 226 Kendle, Irene 13 Keyes, Evelyn 93 The Keys of the Kingdom 24–25, 68, 219 King, Henry 28, 38–41, 46, 57, 147–148, 173, 175–177, 216, 223, 234, 237–238 Koerner, Charles 68, 76 Korda, Alexander 106, 112, 236 Koster, Henry 150–151, 237 Ladies’ Home Journal 23, 40, 43, 61, 150 La Jolla Playhouse 207–208, 241 The Land I Love 220 Laura 61, 220, 221 Leigh, Vivien 80, 120, 172, 222 “Letters to a Soldier from His Wife” 43 Lewis, Windsor 213, 241 Lewton, Val 220 Lifetime Achievement Award 198, 204, 246 Little Women 223 Lollobrigida, Gina 137, 138, 140, 141, 237 London Films 111 Lorre, Peter 137–140, 237 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing 2, 8, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 170, 226, 237, 242–244, 246–247 Love Letters 2, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59–60, 80, 88, 148, 234, 243 Lubitsch, Ernst 61, 63–66, 220, 235 Lux Radio Theatre 40, 67, 88, 216–217, 242 MacDonald, William Colt 16, 233 Madame Bovary 2, 97–98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 235, 242–244, 246 Madison, Guy 165, 207, 234 Magnascope 86 Mahler-Werfel, Alma 27, 36 Malden, Karl 126, 128, 236 Mallison, Louise 128

268

Index

Mamoulian, Rouben 112, 236 The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 164, 202, 238, 243–244 The Man with the Perfect Wife 212–213, 241 The Man Without a Country 218, 242 The Manhattan Project 197 Mankiewicz, Joe 225 Mansfield Players 14, 206, 241 March, Fredric 118, 155, 159, 238 The March of Dimes 218, 242 Mason, James 97–98, 222, 236 Massie, Chris 55–57, 234, 245 Masters, George 175, 213 Mayer, Irene 79, 105, 179, 224 McDowall, Roddy 188, 239 McGuire, Dorothy 22–23, 25, 67, 207, 220 McKenna, Virginia 160, 161, 163, 238 McLaine, Shirley 229 McPherson, Aimee Semple 228 McQueen, Steve 191, 194, 239 Meisner, Sanford 177, 207 Menninger Clinic 124, 200 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 23, 29, 43–44, 69, 98, 104, 118, 124, 159–160, 186, 223, 228, 236, 238, 242–243 Miller, Arthur C. 36, 39, 233 Minnelli, Vincente 97–101, 103–104, 236 Miscarriage 123, 142 Molley, William 184–185 Monroe, Marilyn 93, 137 Monte Cassino Junior College 14, 37, 136 Moorehead, Agnes 49, 234 Morley, Robert 137–140, 142, 237 Morrison, Ian 143–144 Motion Picture Association of America 98, 118, 184 Moulton-Barrett, Edward 159–160, 163 Much Wenlock 107, 109–110 Murphy, Father Edwin F. 223 My Cousin Rachel 224 Nathan, Robert 80–81, 88, 235 Near, Holly 186, 189, 239 New Frontier 16, 17, 18, 19, 219, 233, 243 New York City 12, 14–15, 21–26, 50, 76, 81, 82b, 85, 121, 154, 159, 176, 199, 202– 203, 206, 212–213, 224, 241 Newman, Alfred 36, 39, 146, 148, 177, 216, 234, 237, 242 Newman, Paul 191–194, 196, 199, 226–228, 239 Northwestern University 14 Norton Simon Foundation 204, 247

Norton Simon Museum 194, 198, 200– 204 Novak, Kim 225, 226, 227 Odets, Clifford 213, 241 O’Hara Maureen 61, 223 Oklahoma 3, 7–8, 11, 13, 15, 19, 38, 215 Olivier, Laurence 80, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122–123, 172, 236 On the Waterfront 224 Osborn, Paul 81, 235 Osborne, Robert 1–3, 180, 204–205 Oscar 3, 23, 39–40, 50–51, 53, 57–58, 88, 121, 148, 170, 176, 204, 220, 224, 226 Oswald, Lee Harvey 96 Overdose 67, 169, 199, 228 Paramount Studios 16, 23, 43, 144, 156, 165, 173, 175, 181, 229, 234, 236, 239, 242–244 Parks, Michael 181, 182b, 183, 239 Pasadena Community Playhouse 15 Pasadena Museum of Modern Art 198 Pavan, Marisa 155, 156, 238 Peck, Gregory 55, 68–69, 70, 77–78, 154, 155, 156, 157, 173, 199, 202–203, 207–208 218, 220, 230, 235, 238, 242, 245 Perlberg, William 28, 233 Petrie, Daniel 182–183, 239 Peyramale, Father Dean 32–33, 40, 216, 233 The Phylis Isley Radio Theatre 15, 215, 242 Pickford, Mary 34, 76 Picnic 226, 227 Pidgeon, Walter 216, 234, 242 The Pirate 101–102 Pity My Simplicity 55, 245 Point Dume 184–185, 189 Portrait of a Lady 206, 210–212, 241 Portrait of Jennie 57, 80–81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87–88, 89, 90, 142, 202, 235, 243–244 The Poseidon Adventure 190 Powell, Michael 82, 105–106, 108–115, 212, 236 Power, Nancy Goslee 203 Power, Tyrone 29, 173, 223 Pressburger, Emeric 82, 105–106, 108–111, 114, 236 Price, Vincent 32, 41, 233 Production Code Administration 31, 56, 98, 118, 144 Quintero, Jose 211, 241

Index The Radio Hall of Fame 40, 215–216, 242 Rand, Ayn 56, 234 Republic Pictures Studio 16–21, 25–26, 219, 228, 233 Resurrection of Christ 201 Revere, Anne 222, 233, 326 Rickett, Frances 180–181, 182, 245 RKO Radio Pictures 23, 68, 76, 118, 172, 220, 223–234, 236 Robards, Jason, Jr. 173, 174, 176, 238 Robbins, Jerome 85, 212 The Robe 221 Robinson, Frank M. 190, 239 Roemheld, Heinz 129, 237 Rogers, Ginger 118, 120 Romeo and Juliet 210 Romm, May 50, 56 Rossellini, Roberto 222, 228 Royal Poinciana Playhouse 213, 241 Rozsa, Miklos 74, 99–100, 104, 236 Ruby Gentry 126, 127, 128–129, 156, 221, 231–232, 236–237, 243–244 Sadler, Harley 12–13 Santa Monica Bay 185 Saroyan, William 206, 241 Schary, Dore 29, 76, 124, 159 Schiller, Lydia 165–166, 169 Scofield, Paul 108 Scortia, Thomas N. 190, 239 Seaton, George 27–28, 33–34, 38, 41, 233 Seconal 185, 228 Selznick, David O. 1–3, 7–9, 23, 24–26, 28–31, 37, 39–40, 43–44, 46–47, 50– 57, 61, 68, 73–82, 84–89, 91, 98, 104– 105, 108–109, 111–113, 115, 118, 120, 125, 127, 129, 132–134, 138, 142, 144, 149, 164–173, 177, 179, 183, 199, 206, 212, 215, 219–225, 227–228, 232–236, 238, 247 Selznick, Mary Jennifer 142, 199 Selznick, Myron 50 Selznick International Pictures 26, 165, 234 Selznick Releasing Organization 76, 235 Serena Blandish 207–208, 209, 210, 241 Seventh Heaven 216–218, 242 Shakespeare, William 110, 120, 160, 210 Shamroy, Leon 28, 145–147, 153, 237–238 Sharp, Margery 61, 63–64, 66, 235, 245 Shearer, Norma 159, 160b, 162, 228 Silliphant, Stirling 190, 239 Simon, Lucille Ellis 198 Simon, Norton 1, 9, 229, 246, 197–204 Simon, Robert 199

269

Since You Went Away 3, 43–44, 45, 46–47, 48, 49–50, 51, 52–54, 57, 218, 234, 243–244, 246 Sister Carrie 116–117, 120, 122, 236 Skouras, Spyros 172–173, 228 The Song of Bernadette 2–3, 26–29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36–42, 46, 57, 59, 61, 77, 88, 171, 173, 184, 215–216, 221, 233– 234, 242–247 Soubirous, Bernadette 27–29, 32, 40–42, 215, 222, 232, 242 Southern California Counseling Center 202 Southport, N.C. 128 Spellbound 54, 68, 74, 224 Spiegel, Sam 91, 179 Stack, Robert 153, 237 Stanley, Kim 180 A Star Is Born 50, 165, 216, 242 Stazione Termini 130, 131b, 132b, 133–135, 237, 243–244 Steiner, Max 46, 50, 53, 234 Stern, Richard Martin 190, 239 Stopover Tokyo 226–227 The Story of Ruth 226 Strange Interlude 228 Strangers on a Train 124 Strasberg, Lee 171, 212–213, 228, 241 Strasberg, Paula 175 Stravinsky, Igor 36 “The Streets of New York or Poverty Is No Crime” 21–22 Suber, Flora Mae 11 Suicide 8, 31, 101, 118, 121, 123, 174, 184, 197, 199–200, 217 Sullavan, Margaret 221 The Sun Also Rises 167, 227 Suyin, Han 143–145, 232, 237 Taylor, Elizabeth 98, 118 Temple, Shirley 39, 44, 46–47, 48, 137, 234–235 Tender Is the Night 172–173, 174, 175–176, 177, 178, 179, 228, 238 Terms of Endearment 229 Tess of the D’Urbervilles 222 Thaxter, Phyllis 23–24, 26 The Third Man 129 This Thing Called Love 14, 241 Thom, Robert 186, 239 Thomas, Rob 153, 171, 176, 227 Thursday Night Program 21–22 Tidal Wave 88 Tiomkin, Dimitri 74, 84, 177, 218, 235, 242 The Towering Inferno 189–191, 192, 193,

270

Index

194–195, 196, 198, 228, 230, 239, 243– 246 Tracy, Spencer 118, 221–222 Travers, Bill 160, 162, 163, 164, 238 Tulsa, Okla. 3, 11, 13, 15, 31, 37, 215 Turner, Lana 3, 98, 104, 222 20th Century–Fox 25–26, 28–29, 36, 61, 67, 143, 149–150, 169, 192, 194, 216, 219– 220, 223, 226, 234, 237–239, 243–244 United Artists 76, 173, 237 United Nations Tribute to China 216, 242 Ursula, Sister 37 Vanguard Films 53, 76, 234–236 Vauzous, Sister Therese 33, 233 Vidor, Charles 167–170, 238 Vidor, King 68, 71, 73–74, 76, 104, 112, 126–128, 235, 237 Viertel, Peter 91–92, 136, 235 Virgin Mary 33–34 The Virginian 184 The Voice of the Turtle 208

Walker, Robert, Jr. 22, 180, 204 Wallis, Hal B. 55, 57, 234, 245 Warner, Jack L. 118 Wayne, John 16, 17, 18, 19, 68, 219, 233, 250 We Were Strangers 91, 92, 93, 94–95, 96, 137, 235, 245 Webb, Mary 105–106, 110–111, 113, 236 Webster, Francis 146, 148, 176, 236–237 Werfel, Franz 27–29, 34, 36, 38, 41, 233, 242 Wexler, Nancy 204 When Time Ran Out 228 The Wild Heart 112, 113, 114b, 115, 236 Wilde, Oscar 63, 88 Wilson, Sloan 154, 238 Winger, Debra 229 The Wingless Victory 14 Woolley, Monty 46, 53, 234 Wright, Teresa 28, 68 Wyler, William 2, 112, 118, 120, 122, 198, 236 The Yearling 69

Walker, Michael 22 Walker, Robert 7–8, 14–16, 21, 23, 26, 29– 30, 39–40, 44, 45, 46–47, 67, 79, 89– 90, 109, 123–125, 180, 200, 206, 215

Zanuck, Darryl F. 28, 34, 61, 154, 173, 223, 228, 238